Comfort
by Criminal-Dawn
Summary: Growing romance between two unexpected people.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:** I don't own the show. Or the Characters. Please Review.

Hope you enjoy!

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SSA Aaron Hotchner was scrubbing away the last of the blood on Elle's wall, but the outline of the word 'RULES' is still on her wall. Elle would always have the constant reminder of this frightful attack in her mind, and a scar to physically remind her. There was nothing he could do about that but he could rid the reminder in her home.

"Bleach is easier to rid of the embedded outline" Penelope's voice came from behind him.

He turned to look at her with a grim look on his face. Her usual glimmer in her eyes was absent and he was sure the reason behind it is Gideon's words; How could you be so stupid? he had asked her. He still recalled the hurt in her eyes, and the shame when ever she was around them throughout the case. He tried to make it better at the end of the case, by letting her know that she was an intergral part of the team.

"I don't want the smell to be here when she comes back" he told her as he turned his back and looked at the wall. She came up behind him and placed a hand on his shoulder and then bent down placing a can of some sorts on the floor. He shifted his gaze down and saw a can of paint. A small smile lifted the corner of his lips.

"You think of everything Garcia?" he asked and then looked over at her.

The resemblence of a smile had now vanished and she was staring at the wall as if the answers to her questions were in there somewhere "Not everything" she said. He saw her guilt so palpable in her features. in her body language, yet here she was trying to help.

"I sent her home" he said as they both remained in the same location.

"She should of stayed at BAU" he continued.

She bent down and opened the paint can and looked up at him. The smile she shot up at him didn't reach her eyes but it reached the dull part in his heart "Penelope, don't blame yourself because if that was it then I would be to blame. I wasn't clear enough with anderson, hell I shouldn't have sent her home period." As he spoke she looked away and shrugged.

"Aaron, I've come to terms with my mistake. I was stupid and irresponsible. It won't happen again" she told him and she stood up "Now come on, Elle's wall isn't going to be painted by itself now is it?" she asked with a slight chuckle that rose a chuckle of his own. He took off his tie and rolled up his sleeves as they got to painting the wall.

* * *

**(A couple hours later)**

Once she was done she flung the paint brush to the side and laughed.

"After 5 hours. Coffee overdose and … HEY!" she exclaimed as she felt paint land on her face. She turned to look at Aaron and saw the splatter of paint on his shirt. She burst into a fit of giggles and gasped for a breath.

"You… got… something on your shirt!" she said and she placed her hands on her knees and looked up at him with the first real smile she felt since this whole debacle started. Her cheeks hurt so much she reached up and rubbed them as her laughter died down and somberness overwhelmed her.

"I … I should have known better" she said as she let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. "My mistake cost us two lives Hotch. Elle almost died. I put you all in jepordy! He knew were you all were. Because. Of. ME!" she said as she broke down and fell to her knee's as sobs wracked her body. She felt his movement near her and then his arms around her shoulders

"She's okay Penelope" he told her as he rubbed her arms up and down soothingly, "this is our job. We take the risk of this all the time." Her sobs died down and she took in a deep breath. Morgan was usually the one that comforted her, and he did after the case. He helped her build her new computer which now guarenteed no one would hack into her system. She made sure of it.

After cleaning up everything they made their way out of the home and to Esther. Aaron opened the door for her and she slid inside the driver seat. She looked up at him and smiled which made him return it "It was your job to send Elle home Hotch. The risk is there all the time" she told him which made him smirk. The words he used on her she was using them on him.

"Have a good night Garcia" he told her as he shut the door and she drove home as he stood there seeing the vehicle drive off. He got into his black SUV and drove home.

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End notes: What do you think?


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: **I don't own CM.

**Rating: **M (just in case)

**Pairing: **Eventual Aaron/Penelope. Implied Derek/Penelope.

**Genre: **Romance/Friendship

**Warnings: **Spoilers to episode "Lessons Learned"

**Word Count: **689

**Summary: **A brief moment between Aaron and Penelope after the case in the episode "Lessons Learned."

**A/N:** I chose to continue this. Why? Because there's not enough Hotch/Garcia out there.

**Penelope's Office  
Penelope's POV**

Penelope Garcia let out a sigh of relief as she hangs up on her chocolate Adonis. They caught the unsubs who wrecked havoc on her heart, and Derek was now home. Derek, her brilliant hero who risks his life every time, had shot and killed one of the guys when he tried to run. He had risked his life, like they all did every time, as he chased one who tried to run and eventually managed to shoot him and effectively kill him. As she was shutting down her computers she heard a knock on her door and put aside any negative thoughts the recollection of the case brought.

"Enter mortal if you dare" she called over her shoulder as she grabbed her bag and keys to Esther.

"Good work today Garcia" Hotch told her as she turned around to face him with a smile that always graced her face when the team arrived back home. He had gone straight home after the case to check on Haley and Jack and Penelope had not seen him since before the bombing in Arlington.

"Hey Boss Man," she told him. "Thanks. But you guys are the super heroes I'm just the side kick" she continued as she swung her bag over her shoulder and walked out of her office, locking it behind her.

He chuckled, a rare chuckle that brightened her day after such gruesome case, "Let's get you home Garcia."

They reached the elevator doors and Aaron leaned forward to press the 'up' button. She turned to her side to look at her boss, "I thought you had gone home for the day already," she whispered then she saw the usual scowl on his face appear. She placed her hand on his forearm and leaned forward "let's get you back home to that beautiful family of yours Aaron." His wife Haley and Jack were home waiting and she knew that being away from them hurt her leader.

"I ran home as fast as I could," he mumbled as they slid inside the confines of the elevator. She stood there and then she leaned towards Hotch and rested her head on his shoulder. "They were okay and I had to come back to finish the paperwork for this last case," he finished.

"Our fearless leader's duty is never done" she told him as she patted his chest enjoying the comfort of his strong presence.

**Elevator  
Aaron's POV**

With her hand on his chest and her head on his shoulder he felt a sudden calmness overwhelm him to the point of the sudden need to wrap his arms around her shoulders but he couldn't. Not when his family was home waiting for him and when he knew in his gut Derek cares for his technical analyst. He had been standing next to Derek when he received a call after the explosion. After Derek hung up on his call Aaron walked over to him and patted the younger agents back_. That girl weaved her way in my heart and all I'm causing her is tears. You should have heard her man,_ Derek told him as he ran his hand over his face and he knew the younger man was talking about their technical analyst. Aaron couldn't agree more; Garcia was an integral part to the team but he knew that being behind closed doors and not on the field protecting her family like she wished she could be drove her insane.

"This leaders duty is done for the night" he told her as the elevator dinged signaling them that they arrived at the designated floor. He walked her to her car and opened the door for her and she whispered, "always the gentleman Aaron" as slid behind the wheel. Her hot breath was felt on his neck and images of having her breathless beneath him as she moaned his name filtered through his mind. Son of a bitch he thought as he shut her car door and gave her a force smile.

"I'll see you tomorrow Garcia" he told her as he walked away as fast as he could.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: **I don't own CM.

**Rating: **M (just in case)

**Pairing: **Eventual Aaron/Penelope. Implied Derek/Penelope.

**Genre: **Romance/Friendship

**Warnings: **Spoilers to episode "In Name and Blood" & "Scared to Death"

**Word Count: **777

The morning after the case in Milwaukee, Penelope was called into Hotch's office. _Oh god Oh god_ Penelope thought _I am in so much trouble_. She was nervous, she had intercepted the resignation and transfer forms one last time after he had told her not to. Aaron_, I was doing everything I could to keep my family together_ she wanted to tell him but when she stood in his doorway and heard the conversation he was having on his cell phone she changed her mind. He had his back to her and facing the wall, "Haley. I did everything I could to keep us together! What more could I do?"

She backed away from the door way but her heels clicked against the tile and she cursed the ground she walked on. "Let me call …" and then he shut the phone and turned to look at her. She felt a shiver run down her back and the need to comfort him all at the same time but she held it together.

"Garcia. Please, have a seat" Hotch told her as he slid behind her coercing her inside his office and shutting the door behind her along with closing the blinds. She felt like a child being grounded and with his usual scowl on his face she didn't even dare look him in the eye.

"Aaron, please…" she began "I couldn't stand the thought of you leaving me, of you leaving us… of Emily being gone. I had to do something. Anything. And yeah I know you asked me to stop the glitches but come on Hotch. You and I both know you need to be here for Jack… I am hard headed and stubborn and when I set my mind on something I…" she took in a deep breath as she thought she heard him say something. "Wait. What did you say?" she asked as she finally looked him in the eye and saw a hint of amusement and a smile replacing the scowl she saw earlier.

"I said its okay Garcia" he said as he leaned against his desk and crossed his arms across his chest. She couldn't help but think about how good he looked and she quickly looked away knowing that since he was a profile he would pick up on her embarrassment.

"Oh. Well. Then…" she took the seat and looked up at him with a small smile "What can I do for you then?" she asked him and he rubbed the back of his neck and turned around to go sit behind his desk.

"Gideon is gone, and I would like you to clean out his office. I suspect he left everything except his pictures" he told her as his office phone rang and he picked up.

"We have a case with 4 potential victims that we'll be briefing on in a few minutes" he said over the phone and she stood up getting ready to leave.

After hanging up he looked up at her and gave her a resemblance of a smile "Strauss" he said and she chuckled.

"Say no more" she said as she walked away.

"And Garcia," he said which caused her to turn around. "We don't see you as a maid, you know that right?" he asked with a chuckle which reminded her of the time she threw a fit in the BAU's bull pen.

She laughed as she reminisced but she nodded and left his office towards Gideon's old one.

Aaron's POV

Once Penelope left the office he reached for the painting he had framed that Jack did for him. His little boy who he would go days without seeing, yet knowing Haley was leaving him and taking Jack with her gave him an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach. He needed to get the unsubs off the streets to keep his son safe, and in doing so his family came apart.

Looking back on his marriage he thought he did everything he could yet it disintegrated. His marriage was based from before he joined the bureau, and it couldn't withstand his need to keep the cases and his feelings from his wife and not to mention all the time spent away. He looked up towards the door where Penelope, the one who wasn't a profile saw why he did what he did. She gave him hope that maybe someone would look past the hours of him job, look past the way he compartmentalized his job from his personal life. At the same time he hoped he could find that in the curvy technical analyst who lit up both his personal life and job.

**End Notes:** Pissed me off that Haley could leave such a good man. Some women don't know what they have. Someone's trash is another's treasure. Not that Hotch is trash but he will be Penelope's treasure.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: **I don't own CM.

**Rating: **M (just in case)

**Pairing: **Eventual Aaron/Penelope. Implied Derek/Penelope.

**Genre: **Romance/Friendship

**Warnings: **Spoilers to episode "Penelope" and "Lucky"

**Word Count: **2,669

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**BAU Bull Pen.  
Hotchner's POV**

Hotch was shutting down his computer when the phone began to ring. He wanted to just go home and ignore the call but something in his gut told him to answer it.

"SSA Hotchner" he said as an answer. What he heard from the other line made his heart stop. Penelope. Shot. No, not her. He cleared his throat and asked "Are you sure?" Once he was assured that his technical analyst had been shot he got the address to the hospital she had been taken to and went down to see if any of the team were still in the building. Then he saw JJ, Hell. This was going to be harder then I thought he told himself. JJ was Penelope's best friend. He knew this would hit her hard.

He made his way across the bull pen to where the blonde was.

"What? You trying to make me look bad by staying here later then me?" she asked with a smirk and when she saw his scowl she knew something was wrong.

"JJ… its Penelope" he said and she dropped the folder that was in her hand and he told her what happened.

"We need to call the team. Morgan. He'll want to be there…" she said as a sob caught in her throat and she looked away.

"We all will be there when she wakes up because she will wake up," Hotchner told the blonde as he lead them towards the stairs and made their way up to where his Black SUV was. JJ called Reid and Morgan while he dialed Prentiss and Rossi.

**Waiting Room in the Hospital.  
Hotchner's POV **

He and JJ had been standing around waiting for the rest of the team to show up when Reid walked up. _This is crazy couldn't begin to sum it up kid_ Hotchner thought as he saw JJ tell Reid that Garcia was in surgery. Minutes after Rossi and Prentiss walked up to them with distress evident in their faces.

"What do we know?" Rossi, the forever investigator asked.

In his dazed state he just repeated what he was told. "The police think it was a botched robbery," he told the older man as thoughts of how he could have let this happen sifted through his mind along with the words of one of the paramedics that brought her in. Her GSW was close to her heart. Small chance of survival. It doesn't look good.

"What aren't you saying?" Rossi asked him in a hushed whisper, and Hotch repeated what the paramedic told him as Reid and Prentiss were both on their cell phones trying to reach Morgan.

**JJ's POV**

Come on Garcia. Pull through for us. I don't know what I'll do without you girl, she thought as she felt a warm hand take her's. She didn't have to look to see who it was, she knew that it was Emily and her heart caught in her throat again. No! She'll pull through! I know she will!

**Reid's POV**

Curled up against the corner he held his fist to his chest and tried to breath. Not you Pen. Not you he thought as he looked around the waiting room.

**Rossi's POV**

Unsubs I catch. I don't deal with victims. Come on Garcia. You are not a victim. Pull through this he silently prayed.

**Morgan's POV**

Come on Baby Girl, don't do this to me he thought as he walked in to the waiting room where the team stood. He looked around at the familiar faces and his heart sunk. Please… please let my Baby Girl be alive he silently prayed as JJ stood up and told him that she was still in surgery for the past couple hours. He offered an explanation for why his phone was off and Reid tried to comfort him by telling him there was nothing he could have been doing there. But it didn't make anything better.

"Do the police have any leads?" he asked urgently. There must be something that he could do for his Baby Girl.

"I spoke to the lead detective. He doesn't think we'll get anything from the scene" Hotch told him and all he could do was pace the floor when a doctor came out onto the floor.

The two most beautiful words came out of his mouth "Penelope Garcia?"

The team gathered around the doctor and both Hotch and Prentiss responded. "Yes" they said in unison.

The doctor told them what happened. How the bullet ricocheted from her chest to her abdomen. How she lost a lot of blood. How it had been touch and go for a while. How if it would have been a centimeter over it would have torn right through her heart. One bullet could have torn her away from his life for good. But she would be walking out of there in a couple of days. The miracle he knew she was, the miracle God gave him. The news took all the weight of the world off his shoulders, and he heard collective gasps around the team.

**Rossi's POV**

As he looked around the team, he knew that the woman who just survived a gunshot wound to the chest was more than just a co-worker and to Derek more than just a friend. But as he looked at Aaron, his long time friend and now boss, he wondered if he was losing more than just a member of the team.

"David and I will go to the scene. I think the rest of you should be here when she wakes up. I don't care about protocol. I don't care whether we're working this officially or not. We don't touch any new cases until we find out who did this," Hotch told the team as they began to walk out.

**Penelope's Apartment Building  
Hotchner's POV**

The dry blood on the steps would be a constant reminder to Penelope of this incident but he couldn't allow himself to think about that. He had to focus on finding this son of a bitch that was trying to take away the teams sunlight. Hell, my sunlight he thought as he began to reenact the scene with Rossi who was giving him weird looks. Could I be that much of an open book that Rossi knows what I am feeling at the thought of Penelope passing away? he asked himself as his phone began to ring. This story of a botched robbery was less and less likely in his eyes. He took out his phone and when Morgan told him that Penelope was awake he felt a rush of relief but he controlled his urge to smile and he just said "Good. We'll be right there." He told Rossi that she was awake and they began to walk off the crime scene and towards the Black SUV.

"Victimology. Why Garcia?" he asked Rossi trying to come up with answers but when Rossi did answer, anger boiled his blood.

"Look at her" was his chosen words. Hotchner didn't want to look too much into it so he asked him to explain his statement. "Well you don't look like that by accident. She wears her individuality like a shield," was Rossi's explanation and although his anger was still there it was calmed by the fact that Rossi had a point.

"Leading someone to be antagonistic?" Hotch asked going along with Rossi's way of thought.

"She stands out single woman. Could be someone who's watching her for a while"

Hotchs' interested peaked "A sadist who gets off on gaining her trust and then trying to kill her."

"Pretty common. Kemper. Bundy. Robert Anderson" but Rossi looked away troubled.

"Whats bugging you?" Hotch inquired

"A sadist who just happens to chose an analyst for the FBI?"

And that is what disturbed him. She was an analyst. Not an agent. She was supposed to be safe. She was supposed to be the one receiving end of the call of one of the agents beening shot. Not the other way around. They jumped in the SUV and made their way back.

"So what's eating you Hotch" Rossi asked him and Hotch just shook his head.

"She's not an agent. She's supposed to be safe, I keep her off the field as much as possible" and he knew he let his guard slip at the raise of one of Rossi's eyebrows

"This is not your fault" the older man told him and Hotch just ignored his statement and kept driving.

**Penelope's hospital room  
Penelope's POV**

_His voice. The voice that captivated her all night long. "Hey Garcia," and then she see's it. The gun and he pulls the trigger and fear swarms her body followed by pain. _

She opens her eyes and looks around.

"Hey sleeping beauty" the nurse said smiling at her and then walks out and calls out "Agents."

_Oh God. My superheroes are here already_, she thinks as JJ's tear streaked face comes into view and Penelope tries to avoid Derek's beautiful face. JJ walks over to her left and leans down to kiss her cheek and Garcia feels the wet tears on her cheek.

"Hey" she says groggily and her eyes drift closed "no tears. I'm afraid if I start crying I'll come unstapled." She hopes that they would at least crack a smile but none of her heroes do. Instead Derek leans in, eyebrows furrowed and asks her how she's feeling.

The morphine feels really good, and it's numbing her pride because she looks him in the eyes and tries not to lose herself there and honestly replies, "Confused. Stupid, and in pain." She tries to portray all the regret and apology in her eyes as they hold gazes.

Then JJ's voice pulls her away from his gaze that holds remorse and an 'I'm sorry' "Are you up for some questions?" she asked and Penelope knew she had to be. "I never saw it coming. He seemed deliciously normal," and she got lost remembering the last couple of days but Reid reared her back into reality.

"You know him?" he asked confused and all Penelope could do was swallow her pride and look over at Derek. "You were right. I shouldn't have trusted it" she told Derek who looked at her confused and asked her what she was talking about. "That guy I told you about. The one I met at the coffee shop. I wanted to believe he was interested in me. I let my guard down," she explained and the pain of the betrayal, of knowing that Derek had been right. That there was something wrong with a good looking guy wanting her. The pain was making her breathless and she was trying to catch her breath and the pain raidiated from her chest all over and it hurt. Everything hurt so much.

"Do you have any idea why he would have done this?" came from Emily and "Did he threaten you? Did… did he want something?" came from Reid as if the idea that someone could like her. I guess they're right Penelope, her voice told her. After all, he tried to kill you the same voice told her but she responded to them and to her voice outloud getting agitated and the sound of the machine that was monitoring her heart rate sped up. "I just thought he liked me!" she screamed at them.

JJ the everlasting best friend intervened, "Ok. We're going to come back in a little while." But Emily wasn't having that. "We need a name" she stated. And Penelope knew she was doing her job. Penelope looked over at the brunette and told her what she wanted to hear "James 'Colby' Baylor" and when she got it she wrote it down in her notebook and began to walk out, followed by Derek and then Reid. JJ was stepping out when Penelope knew they were going to go and brief. Panic overwhelmed her and she knew she had to speak to JJ alone. "JJ. Can you stay for a sec?" she asked her best friend and when she made no move to leave her side Penelope let out a breath she didn't know she was holding.

"Every time we deal with victims I see this pity in your eyes. In Em's, Reid, Morgan's, Hotch's. Rossi's. I don't want to be a victim Jayjers. I pulled through. I saw the light and I was walking to it you know. My mom and dad were waiting but I couldn't leave. Not yet. I haven't been able to seduce that God of chocolate thunder over there and you know how this momma has a sweet tooth" Penelope tried to joke and she started to laugh but that made pain surge through her as she reached for JJ's hand.

"Promise me JJ … promise me you won't talk about me as a victim," she pleaded and JJ smiled at her. The first smile she seen light up her friends face since she came in, and she guessed the first smile she's had since this whole debacle happened.  
**  
Hotchner's POV**

Everyone had left the hospital that night on his orders. Derek put up the most fight since he didn't want to leave Penelope's side but eventually was dragged out to go shower and change. Hotchner reassured him he would stay at Penelope's side through the night and he did. After a day of no leads he was exhausted, but he didn't want to stay in the empty apartment while Penelope was alone in the hospital. He sat bedside and took Penelope's hand in his, "We need you Penelope," he whispered. "I need you."

She slept peacefully through the night but he stayed up with her hand in his; a constant reassurance that she was alive and well. He wasn't good with words, so before she could wake up he left, making his way home for a quick shower and a change of clothes. After a cup of coffee he made his way to the BAU where Rossi reminded him how he looked like crap. What do you expect? Penelope is in the hospital and we have no leads. Instead of saying that he kept a tight lip and said "We have no leads. I feel like crap"

He briefed Rossi on how Penelope was doing along with how Morgan and Reid were helping her recollect some of her memory from that night. The rest of the day was similar. This guy who shot Garcia was a step ahead of them and it was frustrating. The analyst that came in to help on Garcia's case was annoying to no end, and his inept way of asking if they were serious about specifics on the case made him clench his jaw from keeping his frustrations inside. But at the end of the night, Jason Colby Battle was dead and Garcia was safe.

When Morgan called him and told him the son of a bitch that shot Garcia was in his domain he wanted to go out there and put a bullet through his heart. But his position in the BAU kept him from doing just that. Instead he had to look at the situation rationally and figure a way to make sure no one got hurt. When Penelope entered the bull pen with Reid, Morgan and Prentiss after the shooting he held himself back from going to her. Instead he settled for Morgan's answer and watched as Lynch introduced himself to his technical analyst.

She deserved to find someone who appreciated her mind and heart and saw her beauty from the inside and out. Yet, you saw it all along didn't you? he told himself as Lynch and Penelope walked out together.

"Tell me why I don't want to see her with him" Rossi said and before he could stop himself he said "You and me both" came out and he walked to his office instead of walking out and escorting Penelope home instead of Lynch

* * *

**End notes:** I had ALOT to work with when it came to these two episodes. I mean... did anyone notice the overprotectiveness in Hotch? Or the way he was defensive when Rossi said "Look at her?" Shoot... I thought he was going to deck him. LOL Anyways... review... please...


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: **I don't own CM.

**Rating: **M (just in case)

**Pairing: **Eventual Aaron/Penelope. Implied Derek/Penelope.

**Genre: **Romance/Friendship

**Warnings: **Spoilers to episode "True Night" set right after the episode during the airplane ride back to Quantico.

* * *

Hotch tried calling Penelope on the flight back to Quantico, but it would go straight to voicemail. He wanted to make sure she was ok. The doctors had let her come back to work on the condition of not over working. Once he heard Derek on the phone with her, teasing her about spanking her, he understood why she didn't answer his calls. He would never be able to replace Morgan and he knew that if it wasn't for Garcia's insecurities or Morgans unwillingness to commit they would be together. Perhaps it was deeper than that, but he knew one thing, almost losing Garcia made him realize that all's fair in love and war. And he was done standing aside while he let a good thing slip through his fingers.

* * *

**End Note:**

Short huh? Well, I am leaving it at this. Until either one of two happens. 1. I get more reviews or 2. I keep watching more CM and a scene fires up my imagination. Which will most likely be the latter since no one is reading or reviewing. Makes me sad … but I have to finish this story now. Haha. Oh… and I hate Lynch so get ready for some serious Lynch bashing. Well… ok not serious serious but … I don't like him and he will not keep Pen. Just a heads up. Angst and love is in store but I will try to come up with a way to keep it up with the storyline the show has set up. So a lot of the content in this story will be secretive or behind closed doors. I am excited… are you?


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: **I don't own CM.

**Rating: **M (just in case)

**Pairing: **Eventual Aaron/Penelope. Implied Kevin/Penelope.

**Genre: **Romance/Friendship

**Warnings: **Spoilers to episode "Birth right" –right after Hotch walks away from the team when they ask him out to drinks. And why was Penelope not with them?

* * *

Penelope was closing down her work station when her door was swung open. She turned around to see a very pissed off Aaron standing in her doorway.

"Hey Hotch" she said as she noticed a legal manila size folder in his hand, "come to serve me with something?" she asked teasingly.

His usual scowl was deeper and his eyes held anger as he said, "No, Haley served me with the divorce papers."

She gasped as she moved forward and placed her hand on his forearm "Oh Hotch… I'm so sorry. Maybe, maybe you should take some time off you know? Talk to her? I don't know… take a vacation" she suggested as he jerked his hand away from her and moved deeper into her office. The hurt she felt was deeper than she thought she would feel but she pushed it aside.

"I can't talk to her because she wants me to leave the BAU in order to be with her. She'd be happy if I worked the white collar job Strauss offered me," he told her and she shook her head.

"Why would she want you to be unhappy?" she asked him confused.

Everyone knew catching the guys who the BAU team caught was a passion Hotch had. How could Haley not see that? she wondered as she saw him pace back and forth in her small office. She knew about his separation for a while now, and he seemed resigned to the fact that his marriage was falling apart but suddenly he seems more in distress then before. She went up to his side and placed both her hands on his biceps, _his hard, strong biceps dear god_ she thought as she smiled up at him.

"Hotch, why are you so upset?" she asked him.

He stood still, closed his eyes and shook his head "Because Pen," he started "Because the first person I wanted to go to after I got them was you."

His words threw her off and she let her hands drop to her sides and take a step back. "What are you saying Aaron?" she asked him.

He couldn't spring this on her, not now. Just then, as he was taking a step towards her, the door to her office opened and Lynch's face came into view.

"How is the most amazing technical analyst doing?" he asked without looking up to notice there was someone else in the room with her. "Are you ready to go? The movie starts in a few minutes, and I would hate to miss the sta- " he cut himself short when he noticed Hotch in her office. _Oh dear god…. Let the earth swallow me whole _she thought as she noticed Hotch's back go rigid and his grip on the envelope get a little tighter.

"You have a good night Garcia," he all but growled at her as he turned on his heel and pushed his way past Kevin. She tried to go after him but Lynch stood in her way.

"Come on. You guys are done for the night Penny" he told her in the irritating nickname he chose to bestow upon her.

"How many times do I have to tell you not to come see me while we're at work Lynch?" she hissed as she grabbed her bag and swung it over her shoulder. She knew that she conveyed her anger sufficiently when she called him 'Lynch' because his shoulders were slumped forward and the cute way he moved his glasses up meant he was nervous. As they exited her office and walked towards the elevators she couldn't help but let his quirky habits diminish her anger.

"You're lucky you're cute Kev and that I like you! But God!" she exclaimed as he pressed the down button to go to their car.

"Come on Penny, I thought they were gone! The whole team was heading out when I got off the elevator, I mean… why would Agent Hotchner come see you after the case was done?" Kevin asked her as she turned around and looked up to where his office was and there he sat, his beautiful but saddened face lit up by the light of his desk lamp.

"I don't know why either" she whispered more to herself than to Kevin as she slipped inside the elevator with Kevin Lynch at her side.

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**A/N: **I have the next four chapters written ladies and gents! Those will be up soon!


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: **I don't own CM.

**Rating: **M (just in case)

**Pairing: **Eventual Aaron/Penelope. Implied Kevin/Penelope.

**Genre: **Romance/Friendship

**Warnings: **Spoilers for "3rd Life"

* * *

As Penelope was listening to the audio from the message the young girl left her parents as a voice message her heart broke. This was the last moments of a young girl's life.

"Oh dear God…" she whispered with a sob caught in her throat and tears burning her eyes.

Once she cleared up the audio as much as she could she called the team on a video conference. Once she was done playing it she saw Hotch looking intently at her_. Don't be ridiculous Penelope,_ she told herself, _he is concentrating on what he just heard. _When Rossi suggested that the parents should listen to it to ID the voice her tears sprung up and she shook her head.

"No … No sir they can never hear this" she told him as she saw Aaron move around Rossi and out of the video feed.

She didn't quite know what had happened the night before but she knew that whatever did strained her and her boss' relationship. He was more formal with her, not that Aaron Hotchner was known for not being formal, but even now as he told her to play the audio for the two parents a look in his eyes as he gave her an order sent a chill down her spine. And that was how it went for the rest of the case, when he asked her to check for flights into San Diego, Orange County or private airports in the last 72 hours she took down the information and just hung up. Why give him the nice 'I'll call you right back' or any sort of her sassy remarks when he was being a jerk with her?

"No Sir Agent Hotchner, you do NOT get to walk all over me!" she said to no one in particular just to vent out her frustrations. She didn't get any hits on flights into the San Diego or Orange County from Boston. She double checked her searches throughout the California area when JJ called her to let her know that that lead was a dead end. That they just found a dead teenager, and now as she worked with Reid she was looking into teenagers lives and she had to not let this affect her because this was the bad guy.

Once JJ called her to let her know that the guys who did this to the young girls were dead at the hand of one of the fathers she chose to not ask questions. She was drained, she had no energy left in her to wait for the team but she did like she always did. She waited an hour and when they didn't show up she decided to close up and go home. As she walked out of her office she saw Lynch was waiting for her at the elevators with a cup with steam coming out of it.

"Josh, analyst for team B said you didn't get your usual coffee break and I knew…" he said with a slight shrug of his left shoulder as he offered her the cup. "I know it's late for coffee but hot chocolate always calms me down. I even put the little marshmallows you like" he told her as she took the cup from him and smiled.

"Thanks Kev, you didn't have to do this" she told him as she took a sip of it right as the elevator doors opened to a tired looking Hotch and and even more tired looking JJ.

"Hey Pen. Kevin. Heading out?" JJ asked as Hotch brushed past them without more than a "have a good night" murmured that only she heard when he brushed against her in order to get to his office. After pleasantries with JJ she and Kevin got into the elevator and Kevin leaned against the back wall.

"You know, I don't think your boss likes me very much" he told her as she closed her eyes and ignored his statement.

**SSA Aaron Hotchners Office  
(Hotchner's POV)**

Two nights. Two nights in a row did Kevin Lynch leave with Penelope. _Why does this bother you?_ he asked himself as he walked into his office and started the reports for this case. He gave his team the night off and he would go home too if he had a home to go to. He had nothing but a living space which he only used to sleep and shower in. He couldn't bring himself to call it home. "Son of a bitch!" he cried out as he threw one of the pen holders against the wall.

He couldn't continue on like this, he felt so wound up all the time and tonight, seeing Penelope and Lynch leave together once again made his skin crawl. She distanced herself from the team, even from Morgan since Aaron knew that their beloved technical analyst was relishing in her new found relationship while pushing away her current ones. It shouldn't matter, she was just another part of his team, but he knew she was much more but he couldn't continue to torture himself with her.

Just as he was getting his things together his eyes landed on the manila folder he had yet to open. He knew he had to sign the damn papers, but he couldn't, not now anyways. As he left his office he called Reid to let him know he would be picking him up to go to interview the death row inmate after he ran past his apartment to grab a new go bag. As he left the office his phone rang, and the name on the caller ID made sent him on a rollercoaster of emotions. Anger because Haley was in such of a hurry that she called him more times to get these papers signed than she did before. Hurt because she was in such a hurry to get rid of their marriage.

As he sent his call into voicemail he loosened up his tie and headed for the elevators thinking of the one person he wanted to talk to about this. The one person who left with another man earlier and showed him exactly what Haley showed him all along. _You aren't worth fighting for Aaron. _

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**A/N: **It's getting harder and harder to write Hotchner's POV! I promise to have more romance built, but like I've stated before… I am going off of what the show gives us to interpret so … get ready for some jealous Hotch in not the next chapter, but in the one after. Penelope will be the one who is jealous next though. I am glad ya'll are enjoying the story! I am truly loving writing this… but it's such a challenge since I am a total Derek/Pen fan but … maybe I'll start a story for them! AGH! Anyways, review please. Give me some constructive criticism!


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: **I don't own CM.

**Rating: **M (just in case)

**Pairing: **Eventual Aaron/Penelope. Implied Kevin/Penelope. Some Derek/Penelope.

**Genre: **Romance/Friendship

**Warnings: **Spoilers for "Damaged"

* * *

_Why would Haley call JJ?_ Penelope asked herself as JJ was on the phone. After venting her frustrations to her best friend about Agent Rossi barging into her home in the middle of the night she felt better, but a sudden pit in her stomach opened up. _Maybe something happened_, she thought but listening to the one sided conversation Penelope deducted the only thing wrong was that Haley couldn't get a hold of Aaron. _Oh oh… someone is in trouble_, she thought with amusement as JJ hung up. When JJ said that Haley couldn't get Hotch on his cell the pit in her stomach grew to one of surprise and also jealousy.

"Why would she call you?" she asked JJ as the blond called who she assumed to be her boss.

As JJ talked to him Penelope stood up and left. _Why does it matter if JJ can get a hold of Hotch and not his own wife?_ she asked herself as she walked to her office. She took a seat and stared at her computer screens and bit the inside of her lip.

"Who cares if he wouldn't even pick up my calls as long as JJ can take care of it" she mumbled to herself as she let her shoulders slump forward and she grabbed copies of the double murder Emily and Morgan would want to see. _I have a … I have Kevin _she told herself not knowing what she and Kevin were exactly but she had him. She was feeling beautiful thanks to him. Not neglected or unwanted like Hotch made her feel. Kevin cherished her body, mind and soul and she had to cherish him the same. It wasn't fair if she replayed Aaron's words over and over in her head

_The first person I wanted to go to after I got them was you._

The look in his eyes, the heat she had felt radiate off of him was so intense she still dreamt of since that night. _STOP IT!_ she screamed at herself as she stood up with the files in hand and went to the bull pen.

Once she walked in she saw JJ, Emily, and Derek in Rossi's office. _Oh great. Now Derek has to know about this? _she asked herself as she heard JJ tell Emily and Derek that Rossi stopped by her place last night.

The over protective "what" that came out of Derek's mouth almost made her smile. Almost, but when Emily asked why she had to tell them.

"I'm really not supposed to say" she told them and the three agents came out of their boss' office and she took a deep breath "He said he wanted to keep it between us"

**BAU Bull pen  
(Derek Morgan's POV)**

_What the hell is Rossi doing? And why is he bringing my baby girl into it?_ he wondered as he looked around his office before walking out behind Emily and JJ. He felt the vein in his forehead pulsing with anger, and could it be… jealousy? He pushed that aside, _Rossi and Penelope?_ he asked himself amused. _No way_, he reassured himself even if the primal urge to interrogate Penelope about what the hell Rossi was doing at her place last night never left him. _Why didn't she come to me when Rossi went to her?_ She looked worried as she told them about the case Rossi was on. He couldn't help but think that the last time Penelope did work on her own and behind his back, she got shot.

As he watched JJ and Emily go get their go bags he walked over to where Penelope stood "You and I Baby Girl, we need to have a talk" he told her as he grabbed her elbow and dragged her across the bull pen to a secluded area. "And we will when I get back so whatever plans you have you cancel them because I want to know what the hell is going on in that pretty little head of yours" he growled at her as she looked up at him with big doe eyes.

"Derek. He asked for files. I got them. He asked to not say a word and I kept my promise but when he caught me last night-" she cut herself off and Derek knew she was hiding something but didn't press it.

"You'll tell me everything tonight Penelope" he told her as he lifted her chin with his index finger, "I don't like it when you keep secrets from me Baby Girl" he told her and walked away leaving a speechless technical analyst behind.

**Penelope's POV**

_I don't like it when you keep secrets from me Penelope. Oh God… What did I get myself into!_ she asked herself as she ran into her lair and sat back. And then it hit her. She was keeping Lynch from him. Her boyfriend, which Kevin now was after the macho but cute display of chivalry he showed. Not that she had to tell Derek everything, but they were best friend. Well, she was her and he was Derek and their friendship was hard to define. "You're in for it now Garcia" she told herself as she sat back and closed her eyes.

**Hotchner's POV**

Uncontested. He was tempted to sign them, give her what she wanted so that he could just move on. After all, what he wanted didn't matter to Haley, at least not anymore. And what he wanted… who he wanted he wasn't going to get. After the conversation he had with the young Dr. Reid he had a lot to think about but he focused on driving instead and tried not to think about the changes that would come.

**Derek Morgan's POV**

"Garcia and Kevin kissing in a tree…" JJ sing-songed as she walked away. Derek became more alert; his jaw clenched as he moved around Emily and went towards Penelope's office. He closed his fist tight and when he reached her office he took a deep breath trying to calm down.

"I tell you I don't like it when you keep secrets from me Baby Girl, and you don't tell me about your boyfriend?!" he tells her as he storms in slamming the door behind him.

"Whoa hot stuff what's going on?" she asked as she stood up and turned to face him. She looked beautiful, like always and as his rage filled his veins.

"What's going on is your boy playing macho man up with Rossi having a "man to man" talk and I had to find out about him like this? When you could have told me?" he asks and she walks up to him.

"Derek, Hot Stuff… come on. I didn't even know what Kevin and I are. I couldn't tell you since I didn't know myself but I know now and Derek, he makes me happy," she told him as she placed her hand on his chest and his breathing soothed. Her words still didn't fix things, but his anger decapitated and it turned into hurt. _She's happy now_ he told himself and he gritted his teeth as he placed his hand over hers on his chest.

"If you're happy Penelope, then I'm happy too" he told her with a forced smile.

"I am Hot Stuff" she told him and he sighed.

"Well, you take care of that man of yours Garcia" he teased as a blush crept into her cheeks "he's gone caveman on you." he told her as he moved away from her. He wanted to take her out that night, maybe tell her how he felt, but she was happy now and who was he to stand in the way of that? His girl deserved to be happy and he wouldn't take that away even if he knew that he could make her happier than anyone else.

"You're the only one that can make caveman look good handsome!" she said as he walked out chuckling. He had to resign himself to the thought that he waited too long to make a move on his girl. He was too caught up giving her space to heal, while this kid moved in on his woman and he wanted to see her happy so he would move on too. At least try to.

"Hey Hot Stuff!" she called as he was moving down the hall way.

He turned and smiled "Yeah Baby Girl?"

"Is… Is Hotch back?" she stammered and wouldn't meet his gaze. What the hell? He wondered as he raised his eyebrow and walked over to her. She took a step out of her office and leaned against the wall with a small smile on her face.

"What? It's just a question" she said when he reached her and looked down into her gorgeous eyes. He didn't press the issue but pushed a strand of hair behind her ear.

"He locked himself in his office once he and Reid got here," he told her as he turned back around and walked away leaving Penelope to debate whether or not to go see her fearless leader.

**Hotchner's POV**

As he signed the divorce papers and placed them back in the envelope he threw the pen across the desk as he sat back on his chair and closed his eyes. He knew that this was coming, that he had to face the separation, but doing it alone was killing him. Just then his door opened and Penelope stepped inside.

"Aaron," she whispered as she saw the envelope on the desk now sealed.

"How can I help you Garcia?" he asked his beautiful technical analyst. _Not yours Aaron, Lynch's. She'll never be yours _he reminded himself as he looked up to see Penelope biting her inner lip. A nervous habit he grew to notice and find adorable.

"I just wanted to see if you were okay boss man" she said as she held his cold hard gaze.

He sighed and stood up going over to her "I signed the papers" he told her as he leaned back against his desk and she came to a stop in front of him. Her arm shot out and squeezed his forearm. A touch meant to comfort but only lit him up inside.

"I know now it seems like everything is … I don't know. But we're all here for you Hotch" she whispered as he found himself pulling her against his chest and her arms wrapped around him with her hot breath on his neck.

"I feel like I'm falling apart Penelope" he whispered as he buried his face in her golden locks and for that moment everything was fine.

"Oh Aaron" she whispered as she held tightly to him, "I won't let that happen sir."

The fact that she was in his arms, finally in his arms, her intoxicating smell and the way she said his name and called him sir so softly made his problems fade away. He wasn't thinking with his head, all rationality thrown away as her soft body pressed against his made his dick twitch.

"I wish …" just then his cell phone rang and when he reached for it he saw it was Haley.

"I need to take this" he told her as her beautiful face was drawn in confusion.

"Take care of yourself Hotch" she whispered as he answered his cell phone to a screaming angry ex wife letting Penelope walk out of his office.

"I signed them Hayle. What more do you want from me?" he asked defeated as his gaze stared off after Penelope's retreating figure.

* * *

**A/N:** What do you think? I can't wait to get to the episode where Penelope has to profile people! I mean... if there is a Hotch/Garcia moment filled episode is that one right!? I am glad ya'll are enjoying this! It makes me happy to see reviews! I started this story with Penelope/Hotch in mind but ... Derek/Garcia is winning me over! AGH! I am torn. Give me your opinions! Who should end with our beloved Penelope?


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: **I don't own CM.

**Rating: **M (just in case)

**Pairing: **Eventual Aaron/Penelope. Implied Lynch/Penelope.

**Genre: **Romance/Friendship

**Warnings: **Spoilers to episode "A Higher Power" and "Elephant's Memory" It starts off from when we see Hotchner walking out of the bull pen with his go bag in "A Higher Power" and Penelope's POV comes after "Elephant's Memory." Slight spoilers to "In Heat," where Penelope and Kevin are enjoying their new romance (which is repulsing to me! I dislike Kevin!).

* * *

**Aaron Hotchner's POV**

Aaron Hotchner walked out of the bull pen towards the elevator with a sickening feeling in his stomach. He had to go see his son after he signed the divorce papers; after all losing Haley didn't mean losing Jack. As the elevator doors opened Penelope stepped out of it looking gorgeous with her golden locks and pink and black dress. She has a pink flower necklace and she just looks flawless.

"Aaron," she greeted him with a tight smile "headed off on a case already?" she asked him and he couldn't help but wonder that maybe she felt uncomfortable after being in his arms last night. The hug, a hug alone made him crave more and yet it scared the hell out of him. He rather go out chasing an unsub like the Son of Sam than face these feelings.

"Taking personal time off" he told her as he entered the elevator she just got off from.

"Whoa whoa whoa!" she said as she came back inside the elevator with him. They were both alone in the confined space and he gripped his hand around the go-bag tighter. "Do I have to go in and intervene on resignation forms again sir?" she asked him with a teasing smile on her face.

He couldn't find it in him to chuckle much less smile, "No, just a day or two. I need to take time and see Jack. Talk to him, you know… help him understand what's going on," he told her running his hand down his face.

"I'll go with you. I'll love to see my little man" she said with conviction in her face.

He looked over at her and shook his head "I need to do this alone"

She turned to look at him and scowled, a look he's never seen on her face, "you don't have to do this alone Hotch."

He closed his eyes and looked down "I do Penelope" he told her "Jack has to see I'm here for him."

She sighed and when the elevator came to a stop where he was getting off she stood next to him "If you need anything, I'm here for you Aaron"

He turned to look at her and took her in. The vulnerability in her eyes and her heart on her sleeve, he couldn't help but fall a little bit in love with her. _Damn it!_ he thought as he reached out and took her hand in his giving it a gentle squeeze, "Thank you. I'll give you a call and let you know how it went."

She disappeared behind the sliding doors and he just stood there wishing he would have taken her up on her offer. Instead he walked alone to his SUV thinking about what he was going to tell his son.

**Penelope Garcia's POV**

Aaron had gone out with the team and found the creep who thought he was the angel of mercy to the people he killed. The case was close to home for her because she had experienced losing both her parents and she remembered going into depression, wishing she was dead. Hoping she had been the one dead and not them. The case right after, with the poor kid who suffered from bullying and ridicule, hit close to home for her and Reid because they've been the kids who had been made fun of. Instead of dwelling on the past she cleared her mind by going to counseling center where she usually goes to counsel families.

As she was gathering her things in the office the counseling center provided for her she felt him in there with her. No one knew where she was, but he was a profiler after all.

"What are you doing here Hotch?" she asked him as she swung her bag over her shoulder and turned to face him.

"We just got back. I wanted to see how you're doing" he told her when he came deeper into the office closing the door behind him. She was mad. After all, he told her he would call her and tell her how things went, but he didn't. He didn't talk to her about it for days.

"I'm doing just fine" she told him as she tried to walk past him but his arm shot out and grabbed her by the elbow turning her around to face him.

"He hugged me and told me everything would be okay" he told her as he looked down on her sending shivers up her spine.

"I held him as tight as I could because I knew I wouldn't see him for a while. I knew everything wouldn't be okay" he told her making her anger diminish

"Why didn't you call me Aaron" she whispered as she leaned her forehead against his chest, her voice palpable with hurt.

She heard him sigh and she felt a kiss to her forehead "Penelope, I couldn't lean on you. I couldn't bring my problems to you because you have your own life," he told her with regret in his voice. She looked up at him and gave him a small smile.

"You are part of my life Aaron" she told him and then caught herself "You and the team are my family. I worry when you worry. I hurt when you hurt" she told him and kissed his cheek, only she missed by a centimeter and kissed the corner of his lips.

The small kiss set a fire in her and lust in Hotch's eyes and he captured her face in his hands and savaged her mouth with his. She'd never been kissed the way he was kissing her now and her heart soared but plummeted down when she thought that sweet Kevin never kissed her like this.

She pushed him away and shook her head as Aaron's arms came around her waist and he leaned down to trail kisses down her neck "Pen, you don't understand what's going on here. I wish you could see it" he whispered but she put a hand on his chest and pushed him away.

"What I see Sir, is my boss who is going through a tough divorce" she lied to him. It was self preservation, something she learned to do years ago. "I think you profilers call it transference. I've been here for you since this started, it's natural that you think something is happening between us but …" she couldn't bring herself to deny her feelings so she went in for the closer

"I can't hurt Kevin in order to make this something that wouldn't work out" she told him and she saw his jaw tick and his hand tighten into a fist when he let her go.

"Something it isn't huh?" he asked her as he brought his hand up to her neck and ran his fingers in her hair pulling her up kissing her with fierceness and sealing force. "Tell me that you didn't feel anything, that whatever it is growing between us is nothing" he growled as she whimpered in his arms but managed to free herself from his embrace and pull herself away from his heated gaze.

"Aaron. Please don't… we can't," she told him as she pushed herself away and ran out of her office leaving him behind.

**(Later that evening at Penelope's apartment)**

She still had Aaron's kiss on her mind and how wrong it was. She had Kevin, her boyfriend, sweet sweet Kevin who she doesn't feel what she should feel for him. He doesn't make her heart stop and speed up when he walks in a room. He's cute, sure. He understands her when she talks tech but she doesn't get that searing feeling all over. _But he is such a good guy. He loves you _she tells herself as she opens her apartment door and goes to turn on the light but the lights won't turn on. She walks into the apartment to get scared to death by Kevin who is turning on a candle telling her he turned the breaker off.

She tells him he scared her and he only says _maybe you scare to easily_ which adds to her anger but when she notices the dinner table the anger diminishes.

"What's this?" she asked him and he goes to tell her how since she couldn't make it to dinner that he decided that he would bring dinner to her.

Then her heart melted at the gesture and she knew he was a good guy; he was thoughtful, caring, not an egotistical alpha male that thought he could barge in to her office and kiss her senseless. When he showed her the strawberry and whipped cream she giggled "Oh Kevin" and when she kissed him she put all she had in her into it but after kissing Hotch, kissing Kevin wasn't doing it for her. But she dragged herself through it, and at the end of the night when she was on her side and her face resting on his chest she knew that she could never love Kevin the way she should.

"Kev-" she started to tell him but he cut her off by showing her two tickets to the Bahamas.

"I want to take you away Penny," he told her and she sighed not wanting to argue with him.

"Let's get some sleep" she told him as she tried to get some rest.

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**A/N: **This last scene was so hard for me to write but it fitted with the time line and it adds to the plot don't you think? I mean why else would Penelope stay with loser Lynch? But I promise you… next chapter is where Penelope comes in late to work and Hotchner says "everyone is allowed to be late once" and he looks pissed! && I will bring more to Hotch and Pen. Thank you all for your reviews. I will reply to them soon.


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: **I don't own CM.

**Rating: **M (just in case)

**Pairing: **Eventual Aaron/Penelope. Implied Lynch/Penelope.

**Genre: **Romance/Friendship

**Warnings: **Spoilers to episode "In Heat," "Tabula Rosa" and set during "Lo-Fi"

* * *

**Penelope POV**

"Kevin I set the alarm last night! I made sure it would go off. Want to tell me why it didn't? AGAIN!" she asked angrily as she rummaged around her room getting ready. She had enough time seeing as she had her own internal clock, but the fact that she knew Kevin was responsible for her alarm not going off again pissed her off to no end.

"Penny, come on. I just wanted us to sleep in, I was going to make you breakfast and feed it to you in bed. I wanted you to start the day off right," he told her sweetly and her mother's voice in the back of her mind told her to shut up and take this good man and his stupid excuses back. He had good intentions, he was good to her but everything he did now-a-days made her bite her tongue to not hurt his feelings.

"I work for the BAU Lynch, we have different hours than you do on your floor. I don't have the luxury to sleep in!" she screamed at him frustrated. She was fusing around getting her things together and she let out a deep breath. "We're too different Kevin. I won't quit the BAU and you don't understand that's a part of who I am. Make sure you leave your key behind. If you don't I'll change the locks but you and I, we're done," she told him in anger as she slammed the door on her way out after she grabbed all of her necessities.

As she walked to her car her anger lessened and when she saw Hotch's number come on her screen when her phone began to ring, a smile graced her features. Something about the way he knew all the right things to say in such a genuine way made her heart swell with false hope. _And the kiss wasn't too bad_ she thought as she opened her cell phone.

"Garcia we're wheels up in 30. I said one can be late once. Not make a habit of it" he told her and then he hung up.

_What the hell?_ she thought as she stepped on the gas making sure she got to the BAU in 5 minutes.

**Aaron's POV**

"I'm sure Kevin kept her up last night" he heard Emily whisper to JJ after the blond media liaison asked about the whereabouts of her best friend. By the response that came from Morgan, a growl of sorts, almost made him chuckle. _Almost_, but the inevitable jealousy that shot through his veins after he claimed her mouth the other night almost caused him to growl like Morgan had.

"I called her, on this case we'll need her on site" Hotchner told the team stoically as they all went their separate ways to get their go-bags. He noticed JJ and Emily go off together whispering to each other and he couldn't help but wonder if he gave too much away, but he couldn't focus on this when they had 5 murders in New York, mirroring "The Son of Sam"

Once they were in the jet Penelope and Derek were flirting like they always did yet this time he wanted to pull rank and make them stop but seeing her smile like that stopped him. If she couldn't smile like that for him, he would be happy to see it at least even if it was directed at another man. She was ignoring him because of the call he made to her earlier and he knew that but he couldn't help it when his temper took hold of him and thinking of her with Lynch; well his anger and jealousy combined made him a man he was not proud of.

**Penelope's POV**

Once they arrived at the New York field office Penelope noticed this 'Kate' looked like Haley. Not that she had anything against Haley. She was her boss' ex-wife. She's a good woman, nice to her anytime they saw each other, but this ex-liaison of Aaron's sparked something in her. She didn't know what, but they way she walked up to them made her skin crawl and the instinct to come up next to Aaron's side. Yet, she let the desire to do that subside and allow her boss to re-acquaintance himself with his ex-liaison and just smiled.

Kate was his type; skinny, petite and pretty. Not that she doubted her beauty but Penelope didn't fool herself, she wasn't Aaron's type. That's what stopped her from reading too much into the little things he would do for her since she was shot; his little smiles, walks to her car at night, late night calls after her dates with Lynch. Even that kiss, the kiss that kept her up at night thinking of him was probably a mild after thought. He was being nice. A little voice in the back of her head told her that Lynch was nice, Aaron was … on a whole nother playing field. Thinking of Kevin made her angry but she thanked her heavens for being able to call things off again. Even if she couldn't explore that spark she felt with Aaron the other night, she'd be a free woman, free to find her prince charming.

"… anything that you may need, tell me. Please don't stand on protocol," came the woman's posh british accent. That brought her out of her daze taking the opportunity to run away from this place and get behind a computer screen. She was not a jealous person, and Kate although prim and uptight at first sight, seemed legit. Someone she could possibly get along with.

"What can you tell me about the city's surveillance system?" she asked and the woman responded by telling them what she knew. _She even has a sense of humor!_ Penelope thought as a smirk quirked her lips at the jab at the privacy laws the American's had. _Just what Hotch needs in his life_, she thought only to feel a pang in her gut. _Even if I am pretty funny too_ she thought sadly knowing her and Hotch could never be.

"And I'll have complete access?" she asked needed to get out of there.

"They're already expecting you," Kate told her with a smile as her assistant escorted her out.

As she worked on the case she became determined to not think about Aaron, nope. She was going to focus on catching this son of a bitch who killed 5 people already. But as they focused on the killings things became grim and she needed light in her life. A reminder that not everything was bad like theses creeps made it seem. She looked over to the officer that was manning the computer room with her. Whenever she needed a distraction, Derek Morgan was always able to do it for her.

"Do you want to see a super fox? What camera is on the last crime scene?" she asked her companion as she looked up the camera and zoomed in on Derek.

"Lisa Barlobee, Derek Morgan," she teased with a smile on her lips. _Who needed Aaron Hotchner? Not me, _she lied to herself as she played with her pen.

As she worked on the video's with the rendering system she made she noticed something real weird so she immediately called the team. Once she was on the line with Reid they waited until Aaron and the rest of the team were there. She hated being ignored by him, but she knew that the pressure was on by the Bureau to bring this case home.

Later that evening when they caught a possible murder suspect she called the team and as luck would have it Aaron answered. She was caught off guard but composed herself rather quickly.

"We have a man in black hoodie and pants under surveillance as we speak," she told him as her eyes were glued on the computer screen.

"Does it look like it could be one of our guys?" he asked and she quickly replied that yes, yes it could be.

Just then a civilian came into view.

"No no no… go away," she whispered as the man came to a stop in front of the unsub.

Just then she heard Derek's voice in the background asking what was going on and Aaron telling him they had eyes on one of the men who was in the subway platform on 59th and Lex.

She had heard Derek frustrated before but this was beyond it. He sounded furious.

She saw the unsub pull out the gun and she knew then and there that someone was going to die and she could do nothing about it. Just watch.

She relayed to the team what was going on while she remained in shock. She and Lisa stood quiet as they saw the dead man lay there alone. He died alone, and she could only watch. Rossi asked her about getting eyes on the unsub above ground but like Kate predicted, once he reached the park they lost him and she cut the connection to the team.

The next day after the detective was shot by the unsub she tried to go into the video feed she noticed someone had hacked in. She let her team know the situation and she knew something bad was brewing. She and Lisa got their things together and headed out. She couldn't wait to catch this group of unsubs and as she got inside the black SUV she debated whether or not to call Hotchner. She didn't understand this sudden need to talk to him but she took hold of it and dialed his number. It went straight to voicemail and she decided to not bother him again.

_He's with Kate… why would he want to talk to you Garcia? _she asked herself as she layed her head back and closed her eyes a tear rolling down her cheek.

* * *

**A/N:**

Sorry it has taken me so long to update this.

I lost my muse.

But it's back! ;)

Sorry to leave it there but if I kept going I would have gone longer.

Now we all know what happens next and for those of you who don't there will be huge spoilers in the next chapter.

Hope you all haven't abandoned us yet.

**What to expect from this story:**

It will be a progression until 'House on Fire.' From there it will be romance or heart break. I am leaning towards romance… but depending on my mood, which can change with the opinion of the reviews, we'll see what happens.

ENJOY! && review please!


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: **I don't own CM.

**Rating: **M (just in case)

**Pairing: **Aaron/Penelope.

**Genre: **Romance

**Warnings: **Spoilers to episode "Mayhem"

* * *

**Penelope's POV**

"There has been alarming news about an explosion in the vicinity of Federal Plaza. Authorities have closed down the entire area and are not going to give any information at this time," the radio broadcaster said which jolted Penelope out of her depressing thoughts. _Federal Plaza, oh my god! My team!_ she thought in panic as she told her driver to turn back around and take her back to the CCTV command post. She rushed up the stairs and reached for her cell phone when it rang. Agent Rossi was displayed on her caller ID.

He let her know that it was a black SUV withing blocks of Federal Plaza. A_ black SUV that exploded._ Rossi's words were a broken record in her head. _Oh God, Hotch_, she thought with despair and then _Morgan, JJ, Prentiss. Please be okay. Please… please be okay_. She brought up the system as quickly as possible, not wasting a breath she multi-tasked as she dialed her team. Once she spoke to Morgan and Prentiss her heart clenched at the thought that JJ who was just going to be a mom could have been in that explosion. Or Aaron who had little Jack and Haley waiting for him. As she began to freak out Lisa told her she found the explosion.

"Oh God Oh God Oh God" she chanted as went over to the screen where Lisa pulled up the image. She saw Hotch and Kate walking towards the SUV. Suddenly the SUV exploded and she saw Aaron get blasted to the side while Kate was thrown back. _Aaron!_ her heart screamed as tears burned her eyes.

"They… Oh God… they…" she couldn't even speak.

"They weren't inside," Lisa reminded her.

She went over the footage and her anger fueled her as she saw the unsub walk up to Hotch, but relif calmed her heart when Hotch was standing there noticeably unharmed.

She couldn't say the same for the sick freak who planted the bomb on Kate's SUV. Derek would get him for almost killing Hotch.

As the case progressed she was petrified for her team; the thought alone of losing one of them made her throat burn and her eyes filled with tears. When she saw Aaron blasted from the SUV made her realize how much she cared for him, truly cared for him. Not just as a friend, but a lover. When Morgan was on the line with her as he drove the ambulance away from the city she realized he held a part of her as well. _Well this is just perfect_ she thought as she was putting away her things at the CCTV command post_, I'm in love with my two knights in shining armor. _

**Hotchner's POV**

Morgan dropped him off at his apartment and he noticed Esther's car was parked outside his place. He and Morgan were at ends because of his actions regarding the ambulance and the bomb. He trusted the younger agent with his life, but he knew he didn't trust him with his.

"What is she doing here?" Morgan asked and he couldn't help but wonder the same thing.

"Thanks for driving me Morgan, we have the next week off unless a case comes up. Go home and get some rest. Think about that job offer the Bureau offered," he told his subordinate who he viewed as his equal.

He got off the vehicle and he saw the debacle Morgan was going through. To go and ask Penelope why she was here or just let it be.

"Hotch," Morgan called out once he was walking towards his building. Hotchner turned to look at him only to see Morgan looking towards the shadow of Penelope on his front steps. "I do trust you with my life." With that he drove off and realization hit him hard. Morgan figured out whatever was happening with him and Penelope even if he himself didn't know.

When he reached her, she looked up at him from where she sat and gave him a small smile.

"When I saw the SUV blow up…" she whispered and he barely heard her because of his damn ear injury.

"Hey … I'm okay…" he told her as he grabbed her arms pulling her up to him. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and buried her face in his chest. "Let's go upstairs?" he asked as he buried his face in her golden locks breathing her in.

She nodded and kept her hold on him as they made their way inside his building and to the elevator. He kept his arm around her shoulder as he carried his go back in the other hand. He could envision getting off of work together and coming home and the realization that with Penelope at his side, his apartment felt like home. He pulled her tighter against him, never wanting to let go.

They walked inside his place and he sat on his couch, knowing full well he wouldn't be getting up anytime soon. Penelope threw her heels off and settled in at his side. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and leaned his head against hers and closed his eyes.

**The next morning  
Penelope's POV**

She had contemplated her predicament on the ride home and with both men driving back together gave her time to think about the situation without them profiling her. Now as she awoke next to Aaron, in his arms, made her heart race. She tried to get out of his arms as swiftly as possible only to be held tighter against his hard chest.

_Even in his sleep he holds you close,_ she told herself as she gave up her struggle. She waited until the opportunity came where she could slip out of his arms without waking him. He looked so peaceful resting there and she couldn't help but wonder if she was the reason for his contentment. She scribbled a note for him and slipped out his place quietly leaving her heart behind in his arms.

* * *

**A/N:** Why would she leave his side?

She's lost it I tell you!

Like it? Hate it?

Review and let me know please.


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: **I don't own CM.

**Rating: **M (just in case)

**Pairing: **Aaron/Penelope.

**Genre: **Romance

**Warnings: **Spoilers for "Memoriam" and "52 Pickup" Also, if by chance Lynch is in any of the episodes, pretend he doesn't exsist in this story. Penelope left him. Now onto the smut! LOL

* * *

**Hotchner's POV**

He was still angry at Penelope for walking out on him the morning after she came to look for him after the case in New York. The little note she left behind made his blood boil with frustration.

_Boss Man,_

_I had to go home and change._

_Rest, take care of yourself. I will see you back at work._

_Yours,_

_Pen_

Her perfect penmanship and the way she contradicted herself with first telling him she'll see him at work, but then saying 'yours' told him she didn't know what was going on either. He knew then and there that he had to let her know his intentions. He wasn't going to let her slip out of his fingers, even if she wasn't his to keep. Lynch was in the back of his mind and although they may still be together she came to him last night. That alone gave him hope and strength to fight for her.

The next couple of weeks were literal hell. He saw her but she avoided him like the plague. There was no real down time since they were on the go case to case. Finally, after the Las Vegas case and after JJ's son being born he had her alone. They were walking out of JJ's room leaving Spencer and their media specialist to talk about Spencer's new role as godfather. Before she could find a way out he grabbed her elbow pulling her away from the group and to an empty hall way.

"I don't have to be a profile to know you are avoiding me," he told her with his voice dropping an octave so no one could hear their conversation.

"I don't know what you are talking about sir-" but he cut her off by placing a finger to her plump lips and the feel of her lips made his eyes darken with lust.

"Enough with the sir's Penelope" he demanded as his hand rested on her hip and he pushed her against the wall.

"Aaron," she breathed his name and he couldn't help himself he leaned over and captured her lips with his in a rough possessive kiss.

"I care about you Pen, and I am not going to mess this up by letting work get in the way or Lynch take you away from me," he told her as he caressed her face.

She beamed up at him and laughed "Well its a good thing me and Kevin broke up the morning we left to New York then huh?" she asked and he couldn't help but feel like he finished a marathon. She is single he thought as he leaned down once again and kissed her feverishly.

"We have to get around Strauss, so for now… we shouldn't let anyone in on what we have. It's rare to have something that we don't share within the team."

**Penelope's POV**

His words were perfect, the sentiments in his eyes were equal to her's, but the fear she felt the morning after waking up in his arms were far greater than when Kevin scared her by being caught in a jewelry store by her friend Amanda. She thought he was going to propose to her and the thought sent her running. Waking up in Aaron's arms was perfect, everything she could have ever dreamed of, and that's what scared her the most. He was a dream and she feared that he would leave her when Haley wanted him back, when he realized he belonged with someone like Haley not someone like her.

Which was why she ran and avoided him like oil avoids water. Only she couldn't run from him forever and being pressed against the wall by Hotch made her heart skip a beat. _Well if no one knows about us then it's not really happening. Live the dream while it lasts_ she told herself as she leaned up and grazed her lips against his softly.

"Okay. We'll talk about this tonight. Over dinner," she smiled up at him and bit her lip "My place this time?" she whispered as she toyed with the collar of his shirt and then looked down. He placed his finger under her chin and made her look up at him once more.

"I wouldn't want to be anywhere else Ms. Garcia," and the way he said it made her believe him.

**Later that night**

After setting the table, and making sure the potatoes were ready she looked up at the clock when the doorbell rang.

_7:24 P.M_

She waltzed over to the door with a confidence she hadn't felt the morning after she had been in his arms or this afternoon in the hospital. She was nervous of where this may take them but she was ready for whatever life had in store for her, after all everything happened for a reason right? So with a smile she opened the door for him, "Sir, you look rather dashing tonight. What's the occasion?" she asked teasingly as he just stared at her.

"Do you approve Aaron?" she asked coyly as she twirled around causing her dress to lift slightly. She had chosen a metallic blue silk dress with sequin at the hem and only two straps of fabric holding the dress to her body.

"You look beautiful Pen," he breathed as he wrapped his arms around her waist and brought her close to him, capturing her mouth with his. In no time she melted into his arms and moaned against his lips.

"I should wear this dress more often," she teased as she took his hand and pulled him towards her kitchen area. "Make yourself at home Sir," she said as she turned around to grab the dishes from the stove only to be grabbed from behind.

"I said enough with the 'Sir's Pen" he growled in her ear as he kissed her neck. She giggled and turned around to gaze into his eyes.

"But Aaron, I've had this fantasy where you take me on your desk and I call you 'sir' all night long" she whispered and she felt the effects her words had on him when he pressed against her.

"In that case, you can call me Sir whenever you like Penelope" he told her as he leaned down and captured her lips with his in a sensuous kiss.

**The next day**

The team was out on their latest case, and it was a bad one. The unsub who was an obsessive compulsive maniac made his victims clean up after their own murder scene. But the twist to the situation was that the unsub was learning his pick up lines and routines from a guy called 'Viper.'

"What a douch bag," she muttered as she went over Viper's website.

That's when Aaron's call came in, "professional… be pro-fe-sion-ale!" she reminded herself as she picked up the phone.

"Technical Analyst Penelope Garcia, how may I help you?" she asked with a cringe. _Note to self, professional is not my forte,_ she told herself as she was looking up this Viper guy.

"Viper… what have you found on him Pen?" Aaron asked her as she furiously typed away trying to come up with something that was more useful to him.

"Well Sir," she teased knowing that every time she called him 'Sir' now reminded him of her fantasy "I found out he has some cheesy pick up lines," she told him as she read him one of the lines from his websites.

"If you think that's bad you should have heard what he told Prentiss," he said with a rare chuckle and told her what the jerk of the moment told her friend while they went in to interview him.

"He actually said that? To Prentiss?" she asked incredulously as she imagined how the whole conversation went down.

"Yes he did, now what can you tell me about him?" he asked her without missing a beat.

"I can tell you that Viper's real name is Paul Thomas and before he rechristened himself he had a major mullet going on" she said trying to find a lighter place in this gloomy mess of a case.

"Garcia, we need the names of all of his students" he said and she tried to hack into his network but the skeeze ball had major security fire walls around his system. Nothing a few hours and coffee won't help me get around she thought as she began to work her way around it.

"I'm going to need a couple hours for work around" she informed him.

"I also need you to send Reid everything you can about what this guy teaches. I think the unsub is using one of his routines. We need to start building a linguistic profile." She couldn't believe the girls at these posh clubs actually fell for such lines.

"Sir… does this guy stuff actually work on real breathing girls?" she asked with a coy undertone as she heard him chuckle.

"Why are you asking me?" he asked surprised.

"I hate the whole chicks dig jerks thing," she said in an attempt at a lame explanation.

"Well fortunately Garcia, you're one of the exceptions" he told her which made her blush.

"Well…" she giggled "be still my be speckled heart so are you sir" she told him and couldn't help but wonder if the effect this man had on her would ever go away.

"Thanks" he told her and then hung up. She hung up on her end and then leaned back on her chair. Although her and Derek weren't on the best of terms she wasn't down because Aaron filled her with hope and a resemblance of what she believed to be love but before she could think her way down that road she cut it short. _You are not in love with him _she told herself as she began to work on working her way around Paul Thomas's fire wall protection and get Hotch what he needed.

**Hotchner's POV**

The past few cases were brutal. After the guy who picked up girls at the club and later killed them after making them clean up their blood was disturbing. But the case in Phoenix, AZ where the unsub was killing cops or anyone in high ranks of authority made him contemplate his life. He knew his job was his life. He did it to protect Jack and Haley as his son grew up but now with this relationship with Penelope. Well he was ready for more with her, he wasn't one for just dating anymore. Jack loved her, Haley got along great with her and he couldn't see himself without her anymore. He had already spoken with Strauss, and although she was not happy with it she submitted to letting Hotch and Pen be together and keeping the team intact. Of course, no one else knew besides maybe Rossi. He suspected his old time friend and co worker intervened for his and Penelope's relationship when Strauss agreed to his terms conveniently after speaking with Rossi. He wasn't about to question the means that came to this end because as long as he could have Penelope fighting alongside him in and outside of the office he was content. He wondered if it was too soon to look for a ring for her.

"Penelope Hotchner" he whispered to himself as he closed down his office and walked out towards the garage, "Yeah too soon for that."

* * *

**A/N:**

He's thinking about marriage?

She thinks she's in love?

Well I'll be damned! :]

**Next Chapter:**

It will be set during "Pleasure is my business"

The call girl who is the unsub says some things to Hotch that makes him rethink his life. Maybe his relationship with Penelope.

**DUN DUN DUN!**


	13. Chapter 13

Set during "Pleasure Is My Business" Garcia makes a reference to Lynch in this episode. Disregard that. She is broken up with the loser so… yeah.

Thanks for reading this story. I hope you are enjoying it.

Also, I know there is an episode between "Pleasure is my business" and "Omnivore" but for this story pretend that after the call girl case he gets the call from the detective who is dying okay?

THANKS!

* * *

**Aaron's POV**

"Really Pen, I think my computer froze," he mumbled with a slight smirk as his technical analyst worked her magic like Morgan called it on the home video Haley sent him. When the video started playing she bent down and kissed him chastely on the lips.

"Sure it did sugar lips. I'll see you tomorrow okay? I am tired and my bed is calling my name," she told him as she slipped out of his office blowing him a kiss. He never thought he would feel a resemblance of happiness after Haley left him but the past couple of weeks with Penelope showed him he could do it.

Watching his son on the bike made him want to bring Penelope around him so they could get to know each other but his willful thoughts were interrupted by the ringing of his phone. Patrick Jackson, Attorney General down in Texas was on the line and he sounded like an arrogant version of himself. He arranged to leave that same night to get started on the case. Once he arrived in Dallas and was briefed on the case; he knew they had an expensive call girl killing her clients and she had a sophisticated way of killing them; poison.

When they made a connection between the victims; men who didn't take care of their ex wives they had a lead only to watch her devolve into a killer who had no real prey. Her father was a dirty bastard and all she wanted was a man in her life that wouldn't leave her. When he was outside on the patio with Megan and she asked hoe could his wife leave someone like him he wondered the same thing. As he watched her die he knew that his new relationship with Penelope, if not handled correctly could hurt his son in more ways than one.

After the case wrapped up and they headed home he noticed three missed calls from Penelope but didn't return one. When they arrived at Quantico Morgan received a call and from his body language he knew it was Penelope on the other line. He didn't even question him when as they walked towards their respective vehicles Derek approached him.

"I told you I trusted you with my life Hotch! And you hurt her!" the younger agent exclaimed, "what the hell is your problem man? She's worried about you!"

Aaron shook his head and stoically said, "I need time to think."

Morgan shook his head vehemently with a look of disbelief in his face "No wonder Haley left you man, you tell her that same thing every time you pushed her away?" Morgan's words cut him deep because he knew it was in part true. "She won't stick around for years Hotch. You either go to her or watch her walk away and if you chose the latter … you are a dumb son of a bitch for losing the second chance at something good."

With that Morgan walked away towards his SUV and left Hotch standing dumbfounded in the middle of the parking garage. He shook his head and right as he is about to call Penelope so he could go over he got an unexpected call. He got into his car and spoke to the woman who informed him about Det. Tom Shaunessy's impending death. He didn't know why the older man who he just worked with once before would ask to see him before he died.

After learning about the deal the older man talked about Aaron dreaded the worst, but before he could jump to conclusions he called Penelope to meet him at the office. "I need your help with an old case," he told her forgetting the fact that it was past midnight and she was probably asleep. When she told him she would be right there he thanked whatever God graced him with mercy. He didn't deserve Penelope's kind heart but having her with him showed him how much she cared.

Once they were both in his office Penelope reached his side and hugged him tightly and he did the same back. He wanted to just hold her and forget anything that was going on but if this deal was made ten years ago then they had a serial killer waiting to strike.

"Penelope, I need you to locate an ad in the paper in the Michigan Post which was placed ten years ago, March 7th. Can you do that for me? Look for something with _I will stop hunting you if you stop hunting them. 'Til death do us part. –T.S_" he told her as she backed away from their embrace. She looked into his eyes and leaned up to kiss him lightly and then walked away. He sighed and ran his hand over his face as he made a few phone calls.

Fifteen minutes later Penelope was at his door with a paper in hand. She looked beautiful, happiness radiated off of her and he couldn't believe he almost walked away from her.

"I think I found it, Michigan Post. March 7th, 1998. Is that right?" she asked as he took the paper and hoped that the Reaper was claimed by death before Tom had been.

Once she knew that it was the right ad she teasingly asked "Because I found it do I get to know what it's about?"

He debated telling her for a split second, he didn't have any conclusive knowledge that The Reaper was back but she was here for him. She left her home when he called, didn't ask questions until now about this, he owed it to her.

"The Reaper" he told her and he saw realization dawn on her features.

"Like… the Boston Reaper?" she asked and he gave her a curt nod. "I didn't even know the BAU worked on that case."

He went to tell her how it was his first case as lead profiler and she went right away to say that they didn't have a profile for the reaper in the system. Not in the system no, he thought and then decided to send her home.

"That will be all Penelope, you can go home now," he told her and he knew he hurt her feelings once more. Pulling rank on her was the last thing she wanted and he knew that.

A couple days later after Tom's death he took it upon himself to get the team to Boston. This case would test them all, The Reaper, like the Zodiac killer and the BTK killer were forces to be reckoned with. He was not looking forward to this. He was on edge, snapping at everyone even Pen. He didn't mean to but he felt responsible for the last four victims. If he would have stayed on the case … he didn't let himself go down that road. But when he killed the seven people on the bus, he felt the weight of his guilt on his shoulders. After the talk with Rossi, rationality was on his side once more and when they thought the case was closed, that Foyet was finally locked away for good he managed to escape. Aaron knew it wasn't the last they would see of Foyet, but like always, there was another unsub who they needed to track down. He headed in to his office and noticed every one leaving. He had his eyes set on the elevators when he saw her looking beautiful standing in front of Derek.

After the younger man had came close to death once again he wondered what Penelope and him were talking about. When she hugged the younger agent and saw Derek hold onto her longer then he should have Aaron knew that Derek was still in love with Penelope. As he stood there watching Morgan hold on to Penelope as if life depended on her he thought back to the conversation they had on the plane back from Boston when Derek was playing with the bullet Foyet left him. Aaron knew his subordinate was thinking about how his life could have been taken away earlier that evening and when he told him he had to let it go, Derek had asked him 'would you?'

Now as he saw Derek and Penelope in an intimate moment he asked himself the same question.

_Would I let her go?_


	14. Chapter 14

"Baby girl please, like old times yeah?" Derek asked her and gave her the trade mark grin he knew she loved and she almost melted in his arm.

"I am going to go check in on Aa- on Hotch see how our fearless leader is doing and I'll catch up with you at your place ok Hot Stuff?" she asked as he caressed her cheek. JJ told her about him almost becoming victim to Foyet and she couldn't help it when she cried her eyes out before the team arrived back home. He was always the one that would get caught between an unsub and the gun and her heart constricted at the thought that she would have almost faced life with Derek around.

As she looked over her shoulder she caught Aaron standing at his office window looking down at them and then turn his back on her with a serious look on his face. She had told herself that she wasn't going to let her heart be involved in this, but she fell in love with him. Only now he was reeling from two hard cases and all he did was shut her out. She just couldn't take it anymore.

"No later than one am sweetheart, I want to pass out with popcorn, beer and you in my arms as we watch movies we know by heart," he told her and then stepped in to the elevator.

She took in a deep breath and headed towards Hotch's office only to see him sitting at his office desk watching the video Haley had sent him a few weeks ago. Before the Reaper, before the case in Dallas. Before this tension that overwhelmed them every time they were alone together.

"He called me tonight after I begged Haley to wake him up, he told me everything was going to be okay. My little boy comforting me and he didn't even have to know anything was wrong," he mumbled as she came deeper into the room closer to him. When she reached his side and leaned into his desk his hand shot up and rested on her thigh, "you should go with Morgan Penelope. He needs you," he told her without looking at her.

She placed her hand over his, leaned over and got down on her knee's in front of him. "Aaron, I've been needing you since you came back from Dallas. Now I get it … I understand if you want to back away. Get things with Haley back in order, but don't push me away if that's not it. If you don't want me around just say so," she whispered and tears stung her eyes.

He was lost in his head space but she head his words loud and clear, "I don't want you around Garcia."

Her heart literally broke into millions of tiny pieces and the intake of breath only caused her chest pain to intensify. She couldn't stay here and look like a fool. _You brought this on yourself Garci_, she told herself as she rushed out of the office and into the elevator with tears streaming down her face. _It was an agreement between the two, a secret affair _but it wasn't even that. A few scarce dates, stolen kisses, and comforting touches were all they shared and yet it reached her heart, warmed her from the inside out.

She rushed to Derek's home and when he opened the door to his home she launched herself in his arms. "Oh Derek," she sobbed as she clutched to his arms with all she had.

"What is it baby girl?" he asked her as he dragged her inside his home and brought her down on the couch practically on his lap.

"He… he said that he…" a sob wrecked her body and shook her head "He told me he didn't want me," she managed to whisper as she hid her face in the crook of his neck and he rubbed her back in soothing circles.

"Pen, give him space baby… he'll realize what a dumb ass he is being and come crawling back," he told her.

"I gave him space but all he's doing… " and he cut her off by putting a finger to her lips.

The feel of his finger on her lips should have sent shivers up her body but instead it made her feel guilty causing her to push him away and out of his arms.

"all he's done is made me fall in love with him Derek, I told myself I wouldn't. That I would enjoy it while it lasted… but Hot Stuff…" she whimpered as she walked across his living room to plop down on the couch where Clooney jumped up and laid his head on her lap.

He came and sat by her and they watched movies all through two in the morning. She fell asleep in his arms and when she awoke she found a cup of coffee waiting for her and a note that said he went on a run. She looked for her cell and saw she had two missed calls, both from Hotch. She chose to ignore them, and just go back to being co-workers. He was her boss, nothing more and nothing less, she could do it.

So she raced home and got ready only to find lilies on her doorstep to which she didn't even acknowledged. She took out the card and placed them on her neighbor's front step. The older woman would appreciate them much more than she could right now. So she walked inside, got ready and left to work, when she arrived she was informed that the team was already debriefing for their next case and she felt relieved. At least I don't have to see him, she thought as she walked into her office.

The next hour was a dud, so boring she would put up with talking to Hotch as long as it was case related. As if on cue a call came in and she knew it was from the Jet's phone.

"My hero's out saving the world already? And without a goodbye for moi?" she teased as they briefed her on the arsonist who killed 31 people in the span of 2 weeks. She noticed Hotch in the background, she tried not to notice him, but she couldn't keep her eyes off of him.

Hotch made her a profiler on this case, making her dig under rocks finding people's crap. She couldn't take it so when she did find some information on Tommy Weiler, she was beyond mad. Mad at herself, at Hotch, at the stinkin' town. All she wanted to do was to go back to cyber space, but she needed to see this one through even if she knew it would probably break her in the end.

The end came soon enough and as she was taking down all the pictures of the people in the town and notes she had made she felt him come into her office. Her blood was still boiling and when he was within hearing range she went on with her spill.

"You guys chose this. Turning people over like rocks and looking at all their creepy crawly things underneath and I get it. I do it's the only way to catch them but I want to see the good in people. I chose to see the good in people and getting into someone's mind and trying to find the god awful thing that happened to them that made them do the god awful thing to somebody else has seriously impaired my ability to giggle and it makes my brain all wonky and I don't like it," she turned to look at him to see him staring at her in concern.

"Garcia, I just wanted to thank you for your excellent work on this case. And I understand that what you did was very difficult for you, but your contributions are essential to the success of this team. I know you see the good in people Penelope. Always. And I would never want you to change that," he told her and turned to leave.

She knew that if she let him walk out of her office they would be done. She couldn't stand that. She tried to be professional, but she couldn't know when her heart depended on it.

"I love you Aaron," she told him and he stopped right where he was. "I don't know when it was that I fell in love with you. If it was at the hospital when you told me that you cared about me. Or if it was since the first time we met outside of work covering up Elle's wall. But I know that I'd be lying to the world if I let you walk out of here without letting you know that," she continued as she made her way to where he stood. She looked up into his eyes and he looked exhausted, but something in his eyes told her a different story. He looked relieved.

"I've pushed you away Penelope because I was afraid of what would happen if we got too close. What would Jack do? What about our team?" he asked as he cupped her cheek in the palm of his hand. "Seeing you so fired up about Tommy today made me realize why I love you. You are kind, eccentric, loyal, beautiful inside and out," he told her as he leaned down and kissed her. "I can't stay away from you Pen, I can't live without you."

Her heart stopped at his words. He loves you. She was jumping up and down inside but she was in shock on the outside. Her mouth slightly hanging open in surprise, "Say it again," she whispered as his lips brushed over hers faintly.

"I love you Penelope Garcia," he told her with the smirk that she loved.

* * *

**A/N:**

I was so geared up for House on Fire that when it came down to it I had so many ideas!

I hope i didn't disappoint!

What do you think?

Should I leave it here? Or keep going?


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N:**

-Shows face from behind a rock-

Don't hate me… I've had awful writers block trying to move forward with this story.

On a side note… Anyone remember "The Big Wheel," which is where this is chapter is set in, Prentiss confess her love for Penelope … and if I recall correctly she has done so on several other episodes. Everyone loves our tech goddess! Haha anyways… I am also integrating "Roadkill" but Penelope is still with Kevin in it but if you recall I had them break up a while back. So no Kevin here anymore So here it is. Please review everyone. I appreciate it

* * *

The weeks after they both told each other they loved one another were full of cases where to the unsuspecting eye things were just fine, normal among co-workers. Having cleared things with Chief Strauss, who consented to their relationship as long as it did not intervene with their work edict, Derek and Rossi knew of their relationship and no one else. Aaron Hotchner felt happy, a feeling he didn't think he would feel again after Haley chose to leave him.

"Jackers! Where are you? Oh my gosh! Did I lose him?" Aaron heard Penelope's voice teasing his son.

"Penny! It's called hide and seek! You suppose to seek me! Tell her daddy!" his son complained with a pout but a teasing glint in his eyes.

"Yes… _penny_… it's called hide and seek. My son hides and you seek!" Aaron teased right back with a serious look on his face.

"Is it my fault Jr. here is _so_ good at hiding and I stink at seeking?" she asked crossing her hands over her chest and pouting those luscious lips of hers in an adorable way. His son was at his side, Penelope leaning against the door way of the kitchen while he served them the dinner he cooked.

"Daddy, that smells so yummy!" Jack told him forgetting the matter at hand. "I'm hungry," the young boy stated as he looked up at his father.

"Lucky for you I'm done. Can you help Penny set the table?" he asked his son who went over to Penelope. As he watched his son take the hand of the women he loved and guide her to get the plates he felt complete, ridiculously so and nothing else mattered.

"Penny, are you my daddy's girlfriend?" he heard Jack ask and he swore he could have heard a pin drop when Penelope remained silent.

"Jack-why… why do you ask that?" she asked stuttering with her words.

"Well Robert is mommy's boyfriend, and he comes over all the time. He doesn't play with me like you do… but mommy tells me I have to be nice to him," Jack told Penelope and Aaron heard Penelope chuckle and as he peeked out of the kitchen doorway to where his dining table was and saw Penelope and Jack hugging.

"I don't know if I'm your daddy's girlfriend but I know that I love you a lot and care for your daddy a lot," she told him as she smiled down at his son. He needed to clarify his feelings to her and let her know that she was his girlfriend, but she was more than that. He had to make her see that even though he never thought he wouldn't be with anyone else but Haley he was happy with her. She made him happy, something that couldn't been said before.

"Is the table ready in there?" he yelled trying to not let them know he had been listening in.

"Yes daddy! Me and Penny worked as a team!"

The rest of the night went perfectly; full of laughs from his son and gorgeous smiles in his direction from the woman he fell in love with both in and out of work. After settling his boy down to bed and both he and Penelope read him his favorite story he and Penelope were sitting down watching the news. Aaron had his arm draped behind Penelope's back while she rested her head on his chest.

"I know you heard him Aaron," she said softly playing with a button on his shirt.

A smile played on his lips as he leaned down and kissed her on the forehead. "I did," he stated simply and noticed her bite her lip curiosity killing her.

"So… am I a Robert?" she asked him as she looked up at him pulling away from him a little.

"Obviously not," he told her and noticed she looked away and began to pull away some more.

"Okay, well-" but he cut her off before she could continue with her train of thought.

"Penelope, you are no Robert because you don't come over all the time, you actually play with my son and you're more than my girlfriend. Girlfriend is such a simple term for what you mean to me," he told her as he lifted her chin to look up at him. When her eyes met his he leaned down and kissed her then pulled back. "So you are no Robert Pen. God, you are … there is no words to what you've been to me," he told her while his gaze held hers and her eyes filled with tears.

"Oh Aaron," she whispered as she leaned up and deepened the kiss.

**The next morning**

"I really don't think it's a good idea Aaron," Penelope told him as she sipped on some coffee as she leaned against the doorway.

"We have to break it to them sooner or later," he told her as Jack came in with his back pack ready.

"I'm ready daddy," his son told him as Penelope went to put her cup away.

"Well I will see you at work," she whispered as she leaned in to peck him on the lips and then crouched down and hugged his son. "And I'll see you later buddy," she told him as she ruffled his hair making Jack giggle.

"Bye bye Penny" the little kid told her as she stepped out.

She walked out of Aaron's apartment with a smile on her face. Last night with Aaron had been magical but when he brought up the fact that they had to tell the team she felt her throat closed up. She didn't want others to know the good she finally had in her life. Sure, being with Kevin was fun at first but it wasn't passionate. With Aaron, it was what she always thought it could be. Yeah, she was scared that he would leave her when Haley realized what a great man he was, but she was willing to take a risk, because he told her he loved her and she knew that she was in love with him. She recalled the night when she tried to lie to him _"Something it isn't huh?" he asked her as he brought his hand up to her neck and ran his fingers in her hair pulling her up kissing her with fierceness and sealing force. "Tell me that you didn't feel anything, that whatever it is growing between us is nothing" he growled as she whimpered in his arms._ She recalled the fierceness in his kiss, the passion that ran through her and she couldn't help but thank God for blessing her with such a good man.

**Hotch's POV**

"I love you Jack," he told his son when he dropped him off at Haley's sister's house.

"Love you too Daddy," his son replied as he walked to his mother. When he looked up to see his ex-wife the love he felt for her once squeezed his heart, reminding him of what he once had.

"How are you Aaron," she asked him and he gave her a tight smile.

"I'm good Haley, you?" he asked and before she could answer his cell phone rang.

"You need to take that and I have breakfast on the stove, nice seeing you Aaron," she told him and walked inside leaving him outside as he answered the phone to hear JJ tell him about the latest case.

"I'll be in, in 15 minutes," he told her. "I want to see the video before anyone else does."

With that said when he walked in to the office he went straight to the conference room and watched the video. After watching it, he sent JJ for Penelope and the rest of the team.

**After the case**

Once Rossi called him and let him know that Stanley was safe and that Vincent was dead, he went back to the station to where he knew that Penelope was waiting for the team. As he stood at the doorway of the conference room they had been working and just stared at Penelope as she gathered her things to go home.

"I wonder if Vincent was able to forgive himself," she asked without turning to look at him as if in tune with him.

"That's not for us to say Pen," he told her as he came up behind her and just held her.

"Its… he saw his father kill his mother. Sat with her while she died and kept the recording of it. He must have been so …. I wish his childhood would have been different. At least Stanley couldn't see the horror Vincent inflicted upon him, but that small kid and his kind heart made him feel remorse, saved him…" and before she could finish he turned her around and cupped her face in his hands.

"We can't find excuses for them Pen, we saved that young boy this evening and that's the biggest win we could ask for," he whispered to her before capturing her lips in a sweet kiss. When he stepped back to look at her she had a smile on her face that didn't reach her eyes.

"I guess I shouldn't worry about the past anymore should I?" she asked in a sad tone making his heart clench for her. He knew how this job took a toll on her. He wished he could take the pain away and make her ignore the evil they saw every day.

"Penelope, you have such a kind and big heart which is why I love you, but don't let grieving for a man's past hinder the present," he whispered as he reached for her bag and handed her, her jacket.

"Now come on, the team is waiting for us at the airport and I want to get home and just hold you all night Ms. Garcia," he whispered as they walked out of the police station.

"Hold me all night…. Sure Agent Hotchner… as if I believe that!" she teased him as he held the door open to the SUV where she slid in with her smile reaching her eyes once again.

**Penelope's POV**

After the case where the unsub was running over innocent people because of a sick sense of guilt over killing his own family she was at Aaron's house making him chicken soup. She rented a movie, and just wanted him home so he could rest. When she had heard that Aaron had been in that car accident trying to stop the unsub she headed over to his place right away. She was worried about him, she didn't know the extent of his injuries so when she saw him walk into the apartment with his forehead bandaged up she threw herself in his arm. She felt him wince making her step away from him right away.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you…" she whispered as she gently reached over to graze the wound on his forehead.

"It looks worse than it actually is," he told her with a tired smile.

"Well lucky for you I made you dinner, and have a movie ready for us," she told him with a smile. He just grabbed her and held her close.

"I love you Penelope," he whispered in her ear and she melted with his words.

"I love you too Aaron," she whispered back.

**Aaron's POV**

Coming home to an empty apartment made his sour mood worse than it was to start with. She wasn't at the airstrip when they landed like he hoped she would have been, and when he went to see her in her office she wasn't there either and all he wanted was her sweet comfort. He didn't realize when he became dependant of her company after every case, but he needed her immensely right now and she was nowhere to be found. He reminded himself that she wasn't feeling well that morning so she must have left early. He wanted to go to her house and check on her but chose to go home first and change before showing up at her place. Once he was home he realized he jumped to conclusions when it came to Penelope Garcia.

When he was greeted with a warm home, the aroma of something cooking in the kitchen and the woman he loved greeting him with such a warm hug made him realize that this is what he wanted to come home to every night for the rest of his life. Of course, being sore from the crash earlier her hug was a bit too strong for his aching body.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you…" she whispered as she gently reached over to graze the wound on his forehead.

"It looks worse than it actually is," he told her with a tired smile.

"Well lucky for you I made you dinner, and have a movie ready for us," she told him with a smile. He couldn't help himself but reach for her and pull her close, and forget the pain surging through him. He had to hold her close and tell her he loved her over and over.

"I love you Penelope," he whispered in her ear finding it sufficient to only say it once when he felt her melt in his hold.

"I love you too Aaron," she whispered back before he leaned down and kissed her pulling her towards the bedroom, "the soup… and movie…" she whispered breathlessly.

"can wait for later. Right now I want to show you how much I love you Ms. Garcia," he ordered her as he began to unbutton her blouse and she unbuttoned his shirt.

"Well I never go against my boss' orders… so show me" she teased as she kissed right below his earlobe.

"You drive me crazy Pen," he whispered as he managed to get her blouse off and he began to trail kisses down her chest to her breast "You're so beautiful" he told her as he sat her down on the bed. He just looked at her and when she began to look away he caught her chin and brought her gaze to meet his. "Don't shy away from me," he begged as he shrugged off his shirt and took off his belt.

"Aaron," she whispered as he descended over her and kissed her passionately.

"You are beautiful Penelope, if you could see yourself the way I do …" he whispered and continued to make her delirious with pleasure forgetting everything and anything.

If there was one thing Aaron knew was that he couldn't see himself without her in his life, in his bed looking up at him with the blissful look on her face.

"Please…" she begged and all he could do was give her just what she wanted.

* * *

**A/N:**

Not a good ending… I know… I have several paths this may take… one that isn't a happy ending for Penelope/Aaron but another that just would make this story longer. If you chose to review… can you please tell me where you want this story to go? Thanks everyone! I hope you enjoy!


	16. Chapter 16

After the case in Canada Penelope felt exhausted but she knew one thing, her team was worse off than she was. Aaron, the man who won her heart in such a short time aged 10 years in the last couple of weeks. The night before she knew he something was on his mind and when she suggested going home with him he declined saying he had things to think about. She didn't want to listen to him, she wanted to be there for him but she knew when she shouldn't push things and now she was paying for the consequences. When he didn't pick up his phone she thought he was sleeping and would wake up to a lot of voice messages from the team. The truth was an ugly one and she wished she would have stayed with him. When Emily called her to let her know that something had happened to Hotch she remained calm. Nothing could happen to Hotch, he was her hero. He could take care of himself but her heart plummeted when Emily told her that there was blood and she was filled with panic. There was no words to describe the angst that filled her when she was calling around hospitals to see if Aaron had been admitted to the emergency room only to come up with information that pointed to The Reaper she knew a nightmare no one was prepared for would be starting.

She wished she could be in the hospital next to Aaron but she knew that she needed to stay in the office to keep the rest of the team updated and out of the loop but when the unsub was caught and Derek called her to let her know that they were going to the hospital to check on Hotch she told him she would meet them there but after they realized Foyet was after Haley and Jack she stayed in the office to get a team to Haley and Jack and save them. Once both Jack and Haley were safe Penelope made her way to the hospital.

When she arrived she saw Haley in with Aaron and the emotions she saw in Aaron's face made her realize the hell the love of her life would be going through without his ex-wife and son. She broke into silent tears when little Jackers and Haley left Hotch alone in the hospital. Before Haley went with the Marshall she came over to Penelope and gave her a teary eyed smile.

"He's going to be going through so much without his son here, but please… through it all … be there for him," Haley whispered and Penelope couldn't do anything else but smile and nod at the woman who she considered a friend.

"I promise," Penelope whispered as she watched her walk away and saw Rossi go in to talk to Hotch. She needed to go in and talk to him. To tell him she loved him but fear stopped her, she had a feeling he would push her away from him.

When she saw Rossi leave the room he walked over to her.

"You should go in now," he whispered as he stood beside her, looking in to Hotch's room.

"How do I …" she began to ask but didn't know how to finish.

"Just be there for him," Rossi said and then walked away leaving her with her thoughts and fear. Before long she found herself at the threshold of his hospital room where he layed there with his eyes closed. Her heart longed to hold him and tell him how much she loved him. To let him know that she would never give up doing anything she could do to find Foyet and bring his family home.

"You know he wants me to suffer right?" came Aaron's words startling her.

"We'll catch him," she whispered trying not to let the tears that were threatening to fall escape.

"That's what everyone keeps telling me," he grunted. "I need to be able to keep it together in order to get him to try to make me suffer and bring him out."

She was confused which left her speechless standing at the door. She didn't comprehend where he was going with this.

"We can't be together Garcia," he whispered clarifying everything in her head but breaking her heart. The dam that kept her tears from falling broke and she was at his side in an instant.

"We're all going to be here for you," she whispered "I'm going to be here for you even if you don't want me to. I love you Aaron and I won't let you go through this alone." She vowed that even if he pushed her away she would only push back.

"I don't want to be with you," he told her hurting her more than anything ever before. His words caused her more pain than anything ever could. She stared at his face for any tale tell sign that he was lying but she didn't see anything. "Seeing Haley walk out of here today… I realize I am still in love with her Garcia. I could never love you the way I love her," he told her which felt like a punch to the gut. So she sucked in a breath and stood up wiping away her tears trying not to hit him.

"Yes sir, I understand," and with that she all but ran out of the room and to the elevator._ I could never love you the way I love her _his words were repeating themselves over and over in her head as she kept stabbing the down button of the elevator.

**Hotchner's POV**

Seeing Penelope run out of his room made his heart constrict in his chest and although he knew it was for the best it didn't make him feel any better. She wanted to be there for him, he needed her there with him but the fact that Foyet was out to make him suffer put Penelope in danger which made him lie to her. He had to push her away to keep her safe. He wouldn't add another to the list of Foyet's victims.


	17. Chapter 17

Set after Haunted, during and after Reckoner.  
I don't own Criminal Minds… or else I would have Penelope have Hotch at her beck and call.

* * *

Penelope made her way towards Aaron's office with the container of cookies but was stopped dead in her tracks as she watched Hotch and Emily walk into the elevator together. A grim expression on Hotch's face and a determined one on Emily's. She couldn't help but feel elated to have Hotch back but at the same time, after he cut into her about missing Call's medical history she was walking on egg shells. She didn't know how to act around him, she didn't know what to do to make him smile. She missed seeing him happy but she knew that it was because of Foyet that he was in his current turmoil. He couldn't be around his family, he couldn't see his son on his birthday.

"Wait a minute…" she muttered as she rushed back towards her office and got on the phone. It was late, but if she knew Haley's handler he would be awake and willing to help out.

"Penelope, is Aaron okay?" he asked once he answered the phone.

"He's fine, but its Jack's birthday tomorrow you know. And although I know he can't see him in person… maybe we could have a surveillance vehicle at the park with him in order to get video of him for Hotch," she asked with her heart in her throat. "I know it's a lot to ask but…" she trailed on hoping he would see where she was going with that.

"Sure thing, I'll have my men take Haley and Jack in to a park and we'll get a secure stream of the day for Hotch, is he there still?" he asked her as she began to shut down her computers.

"No, he went home. We finished a case not so long ago. Do me a favor, don't tell him anything until tomorrow," she told him as she grabbed her bag and waited for him to end the call.

"He'll appreciate this Pen," Sam told her before he ended the call.

* * *

The next morning when she was turning on all the computers in her office she was startled by a knock on the door. Contemplating how she would get Hotch into her office she was pleasantly surprised to see Aaron coming into her office and closing the door behind him. He only stared at her as she turned around to face him. Giving him a small smile she bit down on her lower lip and was startled by him rushing towards her engulfing her in his arms.

"I'm so sorry," he breathed against her blonde locks of hair. "I shouldn't have snapped at you the way I did."

She wrapped her own arms around him and just took in the feel of his body against hers, the smell of his cologne. Just Hotch holding her made everything okay but the echo of _I could never love you the way I love her_ tortured her mind once more making her cringe in memory of that awful day at the hospital.

"I missed important information Sir, you have nothing to be sorry for," she whispered hating her choice of 'sir' instantly once he stiffened at her words. So she pushed him away because being in his arms only served as a reminder of what they once had and could never have again.

"Regardless, I should not have let my personal emotions override my professionalism," he said as he pulled her back into his arms. "I should not have let my professionalism get in the way of our relationship Penny," he whispered as he cupped her face making her look up at him. Tears began to cloud her vision as his eyes collided with hers. "Although I will always love Haley, I need you in my life to keep me balanced. Foyet… he may use you against me but I can't push you away Penelope. I love you and I can't live without you," he whispered making her tears cascade down her face. He wiped them away as he rested his forhead against hers. "Please say you'll forgive me," he whispered.

Before she could answer a knock on the door prevented her from answering him.

"Penelope? Its Sam, can I come in," the agent called out to her as she wiped away her tears completely and she opened the door for him.

"Well now that we're all here," she said as the older man handed her the flash drive and she took a seat and plugged in the device to her main computer. She looked over her shoulder to see the two men talking about what she could assume to be Haley and Jack and once she pulled up the streaming video she caught tears in Aaron's eyes.

"Penelope here thought you should be able to see Jack on his birthday and I couldn't agree more," Sam said as he reached over and squeezed her shoulder. She looked up to the man that was protecting Aaron's family and gave him a weak smile. Aaron couldn't take his eyes off the screen as Jack was on the swings.

"Can you get any closer?" came Aaron's hushed words as she stared at the screen. Once she fidgeted with her program she got as close as she could.

"Any closer and the image will distort," she told him and he gave her a small smile and turned to speak to Sam. After their conversation Penelope remained seated and took in a deep breath after Sam left the room, closing the door behind him.

"I know I lied to you, but I did it to protect you. But pushing you away leaves me … leaves me alone. I can't survive this without you," he told her and then he walked out leaving her with her thoughts.

* * *

_You have a family. When all this is over what are you going to do to make sure you're not a lonely guy wondering why you let the purest thing in your life get away?_ Rossi's words echoed in his mind as he looked up onto Penelope's apartment window. The light was still on and he itched to go up there and beg her to forgive him, but if he knew one thing about Penelope that when she needed to cope with something she had to wrap her mind around it first. He couldn't take advantage of her emotions, he would let her come to her own conclusion and let him know what she wanted to do.

So instead he drove away and towards his apartment; alone wishing he could be going upstairs to her.

**A/N:**

I have taken too long. && I'm sorry it's so short. I hope you're ready for this to continue.  
Please review!


	18. Chapter 18

Miss me? I hope this will make up for the long wait! I know I'm 3 seasons behind and so much has happened! But remember this is set in Season 5

ENJOY!

Set during Hopeless and Cradle to Grave. I don't own Criminal Minds.

* * *

_I can't survive this without you._ His words were repeating in her mind over and over. She didn't have the will to go in and see him, to pretend like nothing was wrong. The case with the pack of alpha males burglarizing homes in D.C which escalated to murder and she couldn't just walk away when she had to help. In the briefing, when he gave her the order to look into social media it took everything in her to give her usual quip. She didn't know how she did it but no one noticed. Once the meeting was over she walked out to run his first order but he was on her heel as soon as she set foot down her corridor. He asked her to narrow down the suspect pool and had the audacity to wait in her office as she worked.

"I could take you the file when I'm done with it," she suggested as she took a seat.

"By the looks of the community I think we'll have a large number, I just need to be sure," he told her. Once she got all the parameters he gave her she was quick to give him his request and held her breath. He stood behind her and she could feel the hard gaze on her neck.

"Thanks Garcia," he said as he walked out leaving her to let go of the breath she held.

Later that afternoon when she went up to the bull pen to see if she could talk to Morgan about everything she was surprised to see the victim's sister holding his hand. She knew that her knight would draw in a damsel in distress the only thing was that she saw that he was interested as well. She knew that this wouldn't end well for him but decided instead to step back, who was she to interfere in his love life when her's was such a mess?

After gathering all the cell phones from the riot that happened a few days later, she was able to sit back and just breath but before she could do anything else Aaron called her asking her to log into the police dispatch to keep on ear out for any calls in relation to the potential unsubs. Hearing his voice reminded her of their every moment together. When they returned to Quantico she met them by the elevator where she noticed Morgan wasn't there. After talking to him and speaking her mind about his relationship with the victim he blew her concerns aside. Once she was able to speak to him and clear the air, sure they were fine but she knew better. She didn't want there to be a rift with her best friend when she was so unstable in everything else.

She went up to see him after she found out that they were done with the case. The men were either dead or apprehended but when he wasn't at his desk she knew where he was and the disappointment that filled her was unbearable. She looked up to Hotch's office and saw Rossi and Prentiss there with him. So he would be fine after such a trying case but she didn't know how much more she could take.

"Hey Garcia, aren't you suppose to be done once we're all done?" came Reid's sweet voice.

"Hey Genius, I am, I just came to check on Morgan," she told him as she went over to him and laid her hand on his shoulder as he adjusted the strap of his sack on his other shoulder and readjusted his crutches.

"Since he's gone already what do you think about grabbing a bite to eat? I'm starving," he told her and she couldn't deny him a thing. She couldn't focus on either Morgan or Hotch. She couldn't stop moving forward because of them. Sure she hurt but she had amazing family around her. She smiled at the boy wonder and moved with him toward the elevator joking about his crutches. Once they made their way to the elevator neither were aware of Hotch's gaze on their retreating forms.

"You two are so painfully in love it's getting harder for us to ignore what's going on," Prentiss said as she came up to stand next to him once Rossi had left them behind in his office.

"She deserves someone who will give her everything she deserves, who doesn't come with the baggage that I carry, yet… I can't let her go," he confided in the brunette agent.

"You are wired to fix things… Penelope doesn't need to be given to someone who doesn't have baggage. She deserves someone who will love her unconditionally and won't toy with her emotions. This back and forth? It needs to stop. You either want to go through everything with her at your side… or step away for good." She stepped away and then out of his office leaving him deep in thought.

_**The days after**_ were filled with completing reports and analyzing the cases that were sent to them. On the night that he and JJ were going over reports he saw that Garcia was still in her office as well. Before he went up to his office he saw the two blondes talking that entrance of the bull pen. He caught Penelope's gaze but only to have her look away like nothing. He didn't give that much thought since when he walked in to his office Strauss was waiting for him. She wanted to bring someone else to overlook the BAU team so instead he decided to resign and have Morgan step up as team leader. When Strauss conceded to that she left his office leaving him not knowing what to do. He couldn't talk to anyone about it and as that filled his head he heard the sound of her heels. He didn't know how she knew but here she was.

"Aaron?" she called to him. The sweetness and worry in her voice called to him so when he turned to face her he did so with his usual stoic look.

"Thank you for helping JJ, you can head home Penelope," he dismissed and watched as she took in a deep breath and flinch back.

"For someone who just a few days ago told me that he couldn't do this without me you have a real crappy way of showing it Hotch! When you figure out what you-" she stopped midsentence when he interrupted her.

"I handed in my resignation to Strauss Penelope," he said and she stumbled forward a bit further into his office.

"You can't Hotch, we need you… you're our rock," she plead and he leaned back against his desk and took her in. Just having her stand close, hearing the tremor in her voice of concern for him made him feel better.

"I will step down as team lead and I will promote internally," he told her. He was looking at the ground, counting each step she took to come closer and when her hand fell on his he let out the breath he didn't know he was holding. She didn't have to say a word. She just offered comfort and support.

"This … just…" she didn't even have to continue with that thought. He squeezed her hand and stood up and grabbed his suitcase.

"This will all work itself out Penelope," he told her as he led her out and walked her to Esther. "So you do remember our conversation?" he asked as he opened the door for her. She looked up at him and licked her lips and looked down as she placed her bags in the back seat. When her gaze met his once again she took a visible deep breath.

"I need time to think Aaron," she whispered. He reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and cleared his throat.

"I'm not going anywhere Penelope, just remember," he said as he tilted her head back. "I love you."

He stepped away as she got behind the wheel and closed the door behind her. She didn't say a thing but her eyes said everything he needed to hear.

_**The next day**_ he arrived early to the office when he looked over the case files. He wanted to prep Morgan to be able to do this job so he sent him multiple emails. He had a lot on his mind and this case seemed to be one that he would struggle with because of the child component. Once they briefed and were in New Mexico there was a lot that had to happen to find the child the latest victim had. As he walked back to where the precinct had their area set up he heard her voice. She was talking about adoption and her quirky remarks about it and giving up her baby to be set for life annoyed him. To think that she would let go of her child but he knew that she would never. She was just giving them information that was needed. But the thought of her pregnant was not a path he wanted to take until she forgave him for his harsh words.

He saw Morgan's frustration and the growing tension in his coworker but he knew that it was for the best. When Rossi asked him how he was doing he knew that Penelope had to have gone to the older man so instead he gave him the run around answer to which Rossi said he heard whispers. He didn't know where the pit of jealousy arose since he knew that she was only looking out for him when she went to his friend but to think that she was confiding in someone else instead of him … he knew that they had to fix this in order to go back to functioning like before or finding out a new way of moving forward.

* * *

"Speak mere mortal," she quipped into the call as she was running down suspects like Rossi asked.

"Garcia," Morgan called her which had her stop mid stroke.

"Excuse me?" she asked in disbelief

"Sorry baby girl, I need a favor," he said dejectedly making her wince for him. "We're swamped here, can you call the fertility clinics I just sent to you? Have them come over here for interviews."

When she opened the email her eyes widened. "Whoa there hot stuff," she said and she heard the frustrated sigh he let out.

"I know, Hotch wants to focus on the prenatal drugs the unsubs are giving the victims to build a new suspect pool and he wants it done yesterday," he told her and she took in a deep breath.

"There's two pages of names here…. shouldn't I try to narrow it down?" she asked to which he snapped at her to just do it. He immediately apologized and went on to tell her that Hotch had been on him since the case started and she winced since she knew the truth. She couldn't tell him everything but she did tell him that she saw Hotch and Strauss talking the night before they left on the case and that their conversation seemed tense. She didn't like lying to him but it was a conversation she'd let Hotch have with him.

After she called the clinics for him she was able to take a moment and think about what Hotch told her the night before. She still loved him of course but she needed time to think about their relationship. Once the case was over she usually stayed behind to wait for the team but tonight she couldn't remain one more second. She wanted to get home and forget everything. She knew that Aaron would be going over the job with Derek and that gave her comfort. She loved them both so much but one owned her heart and she knew that she couldn't hide from him anymore. She needed to be in his arms and she would do just that tomorrow night.

Instead she got her phone out and just sent him a smiley face. She knew it wasn't much of a start but it was something.

* * *

**AN-** Well the next chapter will be focused on the episode Outfoxed and 100. I'm scared to go there! There's so much emotion and I hope I do you all proud! Please leave me a review! I am watching Outfoxed and 100 now so you may be getting the next update tomorrow or Wednesday! Take care all!


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